Podcasts about chalmers university

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Best podcasts about chalmers university

Latest podcast episodes about chalmers university

Urbanistica
508. Measures and Meanings of Spatial Capital book by Lars Marcus

Urbanistica

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2025 68:36


I speak with Lars Marcus, Professor in Urban Design at Chalmers University of Technology and Fellow of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences, about his latest book, Measures and Meanings of Spatial Capital.We discuss the concept of spatial capital—how the built environment functions as a form of capital that can enhance social, economic, and ecological resilience if designed with intention. Lars explains why spatial form is crucial in shaping urban systems and how planners, designers, and policymakers can apply these ideas in practice to address today's global challenges.We also explore why cities continue to repeat the same planning mistakes despite decades of research, and what needs to change for us to truly learn from the past. Finally, Lars shares his thoughts on what's next for him and where his research is headed in 2025.Join us for a thought-provoking discussion on rethinking urban design and the power of spatial capital.Measures and Meanings of Spatial Capital is available here: MIT Press___Keep Up the Good Work. Keep Loving Cities ❤️️All opinions expressed in each episode are personal to the guest and do not represent the Host of Urbanistica Podcast unless otherwise stated.Let's connect and talk further about this episode⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mustafa Sherif Linkedin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Visit  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mustafasherif.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for collaborations and nominations or email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠info@mustafasherif.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Urbanistica on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ &⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Thanks to Urbanistica Podcast partner AFRY (Urban Planning and Design)AFRY is an international engineering and design company providing sustainable solutions in the fields of energy, industry, and infrastructure.

The Ebone Zone
A City's Honor

The Ebone Zone

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 15, 2025 8:34


In this episode, we explore a groundbreaking development in wearable technology: scientists have created a fabric that converts body heat into electricity. Researchers from Chalmers University of Technology have engineered a coated silk yarn capable of generating power from thermal energy, potentially enabling your clothing to charge devices like smartphones. This washable and stretchable material opens up exciting possibilities for integrating energy generation into everyday wearables.More information on Freemen of GlasgowThis Week's Featured Hashtag#NewSayingsForFortuneCookiesSend a text to The Ebone Zone! Support the showIf you have questions or comments email ebonezonepodcast@yahoo.com Follow the Ebone Zone on Twitter: https://twitter.com/OfficialEBZLike the Ebone Zone on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ebonezoneofficial/Visit www.ebonezone.com for more content!

Love Music More (with Scoobert Doobert)
Of Signals and Systems with Nolan Lem (Sound Researcher and Auditory Artist)

Love Music More (with Scoobert Doobert)

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 21, 2025 59:40


Click ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠DistroKid.com/vip/lovemusicmore to sign up and receive 30% off your first year to distribute your music to the whole world! Nolan Lem's work has been featured internationally at venues such as the Museum of Modern Art Buenos Aires, Pioneer Works , L'HOSTE Art Contemporain , and the Danish National Museum of Music. He has participated in a number of residencies, including IRCAM, MassMoCA, Cité Internationale des Arts, and the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts. Nolan joins us to explore his fascinating work with interactive sound systems and sonic machinery. Drawing from his unique background in saxophone performance, electrical engineering, and computer music, Nolan shares how he creates immersive audio-visual environments that bring together technology, sound, and systems thinking. From his time at Stanford's CCRMA to his current research at Chalmers University, discover how Nolan's innovative approach is pushing the boundaries of contemporary sound art. Connect with Nolan: ✏️ Website ✏️ ⁠Instagram⁠ Pick up my ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠new LP "I" on vinyl⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in its full spinning colorfulness⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ while they last

MRS Bulletin Materials News Podcast
Episode 1: Carbon fiber-based structural battery serves multiple functions

MRS Bulletin Materials News Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 15, 2025 4:33 Transcription Available


In this podcast episode, MRS Bulletin's Laura Leay interviews Leif Asp of Chalmers University of Technology about his group's development of an all-carbon fiber-based structural battery. The negative electrode uses carbon fiber and, for the positive electrode, the carbon fiber is coated with lithium iron phosphate. In both cases the carbon fiber takes on the roles of mechanical reinforcement and current collection. This work was published in a recent issue of Advanced Materials.

Urbanistica
490. Child friendly places Turkey Vs. Sweden - Aytan Huseynli

Urbanistica

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 30, 2024 23:58


Aytan Huseynli , an architect with over 13 years of experience in Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Sweden, has built a career marked by excellence and perseverance. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Architecture from Azerbaijan University of Architecture and Construction, supported by the prestigious Azerbaijan Government Education Grant, a Master's degree in Architecture from Izmir Institute of Technology in Turkey, funded by the Turkish Government Scholarship, and a Master's degree in Design and Construction Project Management from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, where she was awarded the SI -Swedish Institute Scholarship for Future Professionals. Her professional journey includes notable Swedish roles at NCC and Göteborgs Stad, alongside working on complex architectural and construction projects. Aytan is also the founder of Architecture Insights, a WordPress blog where she shares interviews, industry perspectives, and reflections on urban design and sustainability. Driven by her mission as a woman in architecture, Aytan is committed to continuous growth, pushing boundaries in her career, and contributing to a better, more inclusive world through her work. She is looking forward to expanding her professional network, collaborating on innovative projects, and continuing to make meaningful contributions to the architectural and construction industry. _____ Keep Up the Good Work. Keep Loving Cities ❤️️ All opinions expressed in each episode are personal to the guest and do not represent the Host of Urbanistica Podcast unless otherwise stated. Let's connect and talk further about this episode ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mustafa Sherif Linkedin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Visit  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mustafasherif.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ for collaborations and nominations or email me at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠info@mustafasherif.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow Urbanistica on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks to Urbanistica Podcast partner AFRY (Urban Planning and Design) AFRY is an international engineering and design company providing sustainable solutions in the fields of energy, industry, and infrastructure.

Kodsnack in English
Kodsnack 612 - Where types first come in, with Pedro Abreu

Kodsnack in English

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2024 55:53


Fredrik talks to Pedro Abreu about the magical world of type theory. What is it, and why is it useful to know about and be inspired by? Pedro gives us some background on type theory, and then we talk about how type theory can provide new ways of reasoning about programs, and tools beyond tests to verify program correctness. This doesn’t mean that all languages should strive for the nirvana of dependent types, but knowing the tools are out there can come in handy even if the code you write is loosely typed. We wrap up with some further podcast tips, of course including Pedro’s own podcast Type theory forall. Thank you Cloudnet for sponsoring our VPS! Comments, questions or tips? We a re @kodsnack, @tobiashieta, @oferlund and @bjoreman on Twitter, have a page on Facebook and can be emailed at info@kodsnack.se if you want to write longer. We read everything we receive. If you enjoy Kodsnack we would love a review in iTunes! You can also support the podcast by buying us a coffee (or two!) through Ko-fi. Links Pedro Type theory Type theory forall - Pedro’s podcast Chalmers The meetup group through which Pedro and Fredrik met Purdue university Bertrand Russell The problem of self reference Types Set theory Kurt Gödel Halting problem Alan Turing Turing machine Alonzo Church Lambda calculus Rust Dependent types Formal methods Liquid types - Haskell extension SAT solver Property-based testing Quickcheck Curry-Howard isomorphism Support Kodsnack on Ko-fi! Functional programming Imperative programming Object-oriented programming Monads Monad transformers Lenses Interactive theorem provers Isabelle HOL Dafny Saul Crucible Symbolic execution CVC3, CVC5 solvers Pure functions C# Algebraic data types Pattern matching Scala Recursion Type theory forall episode 17: the first fantastic one with Conal Elliot. The discussion continues in episode 21 Denotational types Coq IRC Software foundations - about Coq and a lot more The church of logic podcast The Iowa type theory commute podcast Titles Type theory podcasts Very odd for some people Brazilian weather Relearning to appreciate The dawn of computer science Layers of sets Where types first come in Bundle values together The research about programming languages If you squint your eyes enough Nirvana of type systems Proofs all the way down Extra guarantees If your domain is infinite Formal guarantees The properties of my system What is the meaning of my program? Building better systems

Type Theory Forall
#44 Theorem Prover Foundations, Lean4Lean, Metamath - Mario Carneiro

Type Theory Forall

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2024 133:31


Mario Carneiro is the creator of Mathlib, Lean4Lean and Metamath0. He is currently doing his Postdoc at Chalmers University working on CakeML. In this episode we talk about foundations of theorem provers, type systems properties, semantics and interoperabilities. Links Lean4Lean github Metamath Metamath0 Lean Foundations Discussion Large Elimination / Singleton Elimination

Irish Tech News Audio Articles
World's strongest battery paves way for light, energy-efficient vehicles

Irish Tech News Audio Articles

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2024 6:12


When cars, planes, ships or computers are built from a material that functions as both a battery and a load-bearing structure, the weight and energy consumption are radically reduced. A research group at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden is now presenting a world-leading advance in so-called massless energy storage - a structural battery that could halve the weight of a laptop, make the mobile phone as thin as a credit card or increase the driving range of an electric car by up to 70 percent on a single charge. "We have succeeded in creating a battery made of carbon fibre composite that is as stiff as aluminium and energy-dense enough to be used commercially. Just like a human skeleton, the battery has several functions at the same time," says Chalmers researcher Richa Chaudhary, who is the first author of a scientific article recently published in Advanced Materials. Research on structural batteries has been going on for many years at Chalmers, and in some stages also together with researchers at the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden. When Professor Leif Asp and colleagues published their first results in 2018 on how stiff, strong carbon fibres could store electrical energy chemically, the advance attracted massive attention. The news that carbon fibre can function as electrodes in lithium-ion batteries was widely spread and the achievement was ranked as one of the year's ten biggest breakthroughs by the prestigious Physics World. Lower weight requires less energy Since then, the research group has further developed its concept to increase both stiffness and energy density. The previous milestone was reached in 2021 when the battery had an energy density of 24 watt-hours per kilogramme (Wh/kg), which means roughly 20 percent capacity of a comparable lithium-ion battery. Now it's up to 30 Wh/kg. While this is still lower than today's batteries, the conditions are quite different. When the battery is part of the construction and can also be made of a lightweight material, the overall weight of the vehicle is greatly reduced. Then not nearly as much energy is required to run an electric car, for example. "Investing in light and energy-efficient vehicles is a matter of course if we are to economise on energy and think about future generations. We have made calculations on electric cars that show that they could drive for up to 70 percent longer than today if they had competitive structural batteries," says research leader Leif Asp, who is a professor at the Department of Industrial and Materials Science at Chalmers. When it comes to vehicles, of course, there are high demands on the design to be sufficiently strong to meet safety requirements. There, the research team's structural battery cell has significantly increased its stiffness, or more specifically, the elastic modulus, which is measured in gigapascal (GPa), from 25 to 70. This means that the material can carry loads just as well as aluminium, but with a lower weight. "In terms of multifunctional properties, the new battery is twice as good as its predecessor - and actually the best ever made in the world," says Leif Asp, who has been researching structural batteries since 2007. Several steps towards commercialisation From the start, the goal was to achieve a performance that makes it possible to commercialise the technology. In parallel with the fact that the research is now continuing, the link to the market has been strengthened - through the newly started Chalmers Venture company Sinonus AB, based in Borås, Sweden. However, there is still a lot of engineering work to be done before the battery cells have taken the step from lab manufacturing on a small scale to being produced on a large scale for our technology gadgets or vehicles. "One can imagine that credit card-thin mobile phones or laptops that weigh half as much as today, are the closest in time. It could also be that components such as electronics in cars or planes are powered ...

Impulse To Innovation
Season 5 Episode 7: Mechanics of the Microscopic - Engineering in Quantum Technologies

Impulse To Innovation

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 4, 2024 24:29


The world of quantum technology is not some science fiction flight of fantasy, it is an exciting field of science which is turning into a rapidly growing engineering sector. You might not know it but you can already buy quantum-dot TVs and mobile phones with quantum-enhanced encryption. Quantum technologies are poised to expand the realm of engineering in ways that were unthinkable until just a decade ago.         Dr Elizabeth Eso aligning an optical system to experimentally demonstrate a time-bin quantum key distribution system. Credit: Chris Watt Photography   Quantum engineering is the development of technology that exploits the laws of quantum mechanics (the behaviour of nature at and below the scale of atoms), using it as a toolbox for the development of quantum technologies, such as quantum sensors or quantum computers. There are many devices available which rely on quantum mechanical effects such as medicine, optical communication, high-speed internet, and high-performance computing, just to mention a few examples.       An IBM engineer adjusting on one of the company's quantum computers. Credit: Connie Zhou for IBM   After the technological advances that brought us lasers, MRI imagers and transistors, a second wave of quantum technologies is expected to impact society in a similar way. These new technologies will make use of quantum coherence (the regular and predictable behaviour of atoms), building on the progress achieved in the last century, to enable us to have greater control of these atomic-scale systems.   The burgeoning quantum industry requires a quantum-literate workforce; something that is in short supply at the moment. Those working in the field mainly come from either a physics or engineering background and have acquired their ”quantum engineering skills” by experience. Many of the companies that could benefit from quantum technologies already have a strong presence here in the UK, including those involved in new materials, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, aerospace, defence and financial services, but what other application will we as engineers be able to use quantum technologies for?       An IBM engineer working on the refrigerator casing inside of which the company plans to install a 1 million-qubit quantum computer by 2030. Credit: Connie Zhou for IBM.   Helen's Guests are Tobias Lindstrom, Head of Science for the department of Quantum Technology at the National Physical Laboratory and Sir Peter Knight, Professor of Quantum Optics and Senior Research Investigator at Imperial College London, and principal of the Kavli Royal Society International Centre.   Tobias received his PhD in Physics from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, before joining NPL as a Senior Scientist , then Principal Scientist and now head of department. During his time at NPL, Tobias has primarily worked on superconducting quantum technology.  In addition to conducting research relevant for the emerging superconducting quantum computing sector, he has also pioneered the use of precision frequency metrology methods for the study of noise in superconducting resonators and qubits. Tobias is also part of a global effort to develop international standards for quantum technologies.   Sir Peter is a leading academic in the field of quantum optics and has been described as "one of the UK's most influential scientists and leaders of scientific policy" by his peers. He has been the recipient of several major awards including the Royal Medal from the Royal Society and the Thomas Young Medal from the Institute of Physics. Sir Peter was President of the Institute of Physics from 2011 to 2013 and of Optica; The Optical Society of America and is also a Fellow of the Royal Society. He was also Chief Scientific Advisor until his retirement to the National Physical Laboratory and is Chair of NPL's Quantum Metrology Institute. He continues to act as an advisor to the British government.   Useful Links: NPL Quantum Technologies Quantum Computing & Simulation Hub  Bristol University - What is Quantum Engineering?     We would love to hear your thoughts and comments on this episode. If you would like to get in touch, email us at podcast@imeche.org You can find more information about the work of the IMechE at www.imeche.org 

The Smart 7
The Sunday 7 - Inside the Titan Submersible Coast Guard inquiry, the Technology behind the Middle East Pager explosions, Breakthrough in Carbon Fibre batteries, and we meet viral sensation Moo Deng

The Smart 7

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 22, 2024 17:46


The Smart 7 is an award winning daily podcast that gives you everything you need to know in 7 minutes, at 7 am, 7 days a week...With over 16 million downloads and consistently charting, including as No. 1 News Podcast on Spotify, we're a trusted source for people every day and the Sunday 7 won a Gold Award as “Best Conversation Starter” in the International Signal Podcast Awards We've also just been nominated for an Independent Podcast award in the Science and Technology category.If you're enjoying it, please follow, share, or even post a review, it all helps...Today's episode includes the following guests:Guests David Lochridge - Former Oceangate Technical DirectorTony Nissen - Former Lead Engineer at Oceangate Bonnie Carl - Former Finance Director at OceangateWill Guyatt - The Smart 7's Tech Guru Professor Noor Il Owase Jeelani - Great Ormond Street Hospital Julie WIlliams - CEO of Butterfly Conservation Richard Lamb - Butterfly Conservation and The Stratford Butterfly Farm Henry Dimbleby - Cofounder of Leon and the author of the UK's National Food StrategyLeif Asp - Lead researcher at Chalmers University of Technology in SwedenGustav Hasselskog - CEO and Founder of Candela Silkie Carlo - Director of Uk Civil Liberties group “Big Brother Watch”.Narongwit Chodchoi - Director of the Khao Kheow Open Zoo, in Chonburi, ThailandContact us over at X or visit www.thesmart7.comPresented by Ciara Revins, written by Liam Thompson and produced by Daft Doris. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Irish Tech News Audio Articles
New study to understand how parts of fuel cells degrade over time

Irish Tech News Audio Articles

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2024 6:13


More efficient and longer-lasting fuel cells are essential for fuel cell-powered heavy-duty hydrogen vehicles to be an alternative to combustion fuelled counterparts. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, have developed an innovative method to study and understand how parts of fuel cells degrade over time. This is an important step towards the improved performance of fuel cells and them becoming commercially successful. How fuel cells degrade over time Hydrogen is a fuel alternative that is becoming increasingly interesting for heavy-duty vehicles. Hydrogen-powered vehicles only emit water vapour as exhaust, and if the hydrogen is produced using renewable energy, it is completely free of carbon dioxide emissions. Unlike battery-powered electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles do not need to burden the electricity grid, as hydrogen can be produced and stored when electricity is cheap. For some hydrogen-powered vehicles the propulsion comes from a so-called fuel cell. However, hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered vehicles are limited by a relatively short lifespan, because fuel cell components, such as electrodes and membranes, degrade over time. It is this problem that the recent study addresses. Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology have developed a new method for studying what affects the ageing of fuel cells by tracking a specific particle in the fuel cell during use. The team of researchers have studied an entire fuel cell by taking it apart at regular intervals. Using advanced electron microscopes, they have then been able to follow how the cathode electrode degrades in specific areas during the cycles of use. Previous studies have been done on so-called half-cells, which are similar (but not the same as) half of a fuel-cell and are carried out under conditions that differ significantly from the real fuel cell. Better understanding with new experimental method "It has previously been assumed that the performance would be affected by the fuel cell being disassembled and studied in the way we have done, but it turned out that this assumption is not correct, which is surprising," says research leader Björn Wickman, Associate Professor at the Department of Physics at Chalmers. The researchers at Chalmers have been able to explore how the material in the fuel cell degrades at both the nano and micro level, and pinpoint exactly when and where the degradation occurs. This provides valuable information for the development of new and improved fuel cells with a longer lifespan. "From previously only looking at how the fuel cell has aged after use, we have now been able to look into the middle stage," says doctoral student Linnéa Strandberg at Chalmers. "Being able to follow a single, chosen particle within a specific area, provided a much better understanding of the degradation processes. Greater knowledge of these is an important step on the way to designing new materials for fuel cells or to adjust the control of the fuel cell." New method paves way for longer lasting fuel cells The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has pointed out that improved lifetime of fuel cells is one of the most important goals to reach before fuel cell-powered hydrogen vehicles can become commercially successful. According to the industry, a truck needs to be able to withstand 20,000 - 30,000 hours of driving over its lifetime, which a fuel cell-powered hydrogen truck cannot achieve today. "We have now laid a foundation on which to build for the development of better fuel cells. Now we know more about the processes that take place in the fuel cell and at what point over the lifetime of the fuel cell they occur. In the future, the method will be used to develop and study new materials that can give the fuel cell a longer lifespan," says Björn Wickman. Facts: How a fuel cell works The core of a fuel cell consists of three active layers, two electrodes - anode and cathode respectively - with an ion-conducting membrane in the middle....

Neurocareers: How to be successful in STEM?
Naturalistic Sensations for Bionic Legs: Biomimetic BCI with Giacomo Valle, PhD

Neurocareers: How to be successful in STEM?

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 5, 2024 88:57


How can we help people with prosthetic legs walk more easily and with less effort? In this episode of Neurocareers: Doing the Impossible!, we explore this question with Giacomo Valle, PhD, a leading researcher in the field of biomimetic brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) and bionic legs. Dr. Valle and his colleagues at ETH Zürich have developed an innovative biomimetic BCI that uses peripheral nerve stimulation to convey naturalistic touch sensations in bionic legs. This groundbreaking work has earned them a spot as one of the 12 finalists for the BCI Award 2023. Dr. Valle's research focuses on creating artificial communication with the brain through peripheral nerve stimulation, providing a more intuitive and natural sensory experience. His team developed a biomimetic neurostimulation framework inspired by nature, capable of "writing" physiologically plausible information back into the peripheral nervous system. Using an in-silico model of mechanoreceptors, they created biomimetic stimulation policies, which were tested alongside mechanical touch and common linear neuromodulations. In clinical trials, these techniques have shown significant improvements in mobility and reduced mental effort compared to traditional approaches. The neural responses produced by this innovative approach resemble those naturally induced, marking a significant advancement in assistive neurotechnologies. Dr. Valle's project, "Biomimetic BCI Conveys Naturalistic Touch Sensations via Peripheral Nerve Stimulation for Bionic Legs," represents a major leap forward in neuroengineering and bionics. With an educational background that includes a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering and an M.S. in Bioengineering from the University of Genoa, and a Ph.D. in Biorobotics from the Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Dr. Valle has extensive experience in this field. His career journey includes research positions at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne and ETH Zurich, where he contributed to significant innovations in neuroprosthetics. As a co-founder of the medtech startup MYNERVA and now a Tenure-track Assistant Professor in Bionics at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, Dr. Valle's research focuses on neuroengineering and computational models aimed at restoring sensory feedback and understanding somatosensory processing and neural control of movements. Join us as Dr. Valle shares insights into his research, discusses his career path, and offers valuable advice for a successful BCI Award submission. Whether you're interested in the latest advancements in neuroengineering or seeking inspiration for your own scientific endeavors, this episode is packed with fascinating insights and expert guidance. About the Podcast Guest: Dr. Giacomo Valle holds  a position as an Assistant Professor in Bionics, Head of the Neural Bionics Laboratory at the Department of Electrical Engineering  | Life Bionics Chalmers University of Technology in Hörsalsvägen 11, SE - 412 96, Gothenburg, Sweden Sahlgrenska Universitetssjukhuset R-huset, plan 7, Länsmansgatan 28, 431 80 Mölndal Other Dr. Valle's affiliations: Cortical Bionics Research Group, USA: https://www.corticalbionics.com/ Co-founder MYNERVA  Wyss Zurich Translational Center | ETH Zurich, Weinbergstrasse 35, WEH 8092 Zurich Switzerland Contact Information: E-mail: valleg@chalmers.se  @NeuralBionicsLab socials: LinkedIn, X.   Open Positions: The Neural Bionics Lab (PI: Giacomo Valle) has available projects (6-12 months) starting this fall and next spring on: - Bidirectional neuroprosthetics - Implantable Brain-Computer Interfaces - Somatosensation & Touch - Neural stimulation for sensory restoration - Cortical & peripheral interfacing - Mechatronics for neurotechnology - Human neurophysiology Please contact us here or at valleg@chalmers.se sending your CV, transcript of records (Bachelor and Master) and motivation letter. Info about the projects on https://sirop.org/app/ Our projects are done in collaboration with Biological Sciences Division at the University of Chicago, CBRG, University of Zurich and MYNERVA. hashtag About the Podcast Host: The Neurocareers podcast is brought to you by The Institute of Neuroapproaches (https://www.neuroapproaches.org/) and its founder, Milena Korostenskaja, Ph.D. (Dr. K), a neuroscience educator, research consultant, and career coach for people in neuroscience and neurotechnologies. As a professional coach with a background in the field, Dr. K understands the unique challenges and opportunities job applicants face in this field and can provide personalized coaching and support to help you succeed. Here's what you'll get with one-on-one coaching sessions from Dr. K: Identification and pursuit of career goals Guidance on job search strategies, resume, and cover letter development Neurotech / neuroscience job interview preparation and practice Networking strategies to connect with professionals in the field of neuroscience and neurotechnologies Ongoing support and guidance to help you stay on track and achieve your goals You can always schedule a free neurocareer consultation/coaching session with Dr. K at https://neuroapproaches.as.me/free-neurocareer-consultation Subscribe to our Nerocareers Newsletter to stay on top of all our cool neurocareers news at updates https://www.neuroapproaches.org/neurocareers-news

Irish Tech News Audio Articles
New findings could lead to safer, more stable metal batteries

Irish Tech News Audio Articles

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2024 6:22


Details about the title image: In the battery lab at the Department of Physics at Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, Josef Rizell is working on developing the batteries of the future. The work is done in so-called 'glove boxes', an enclosed and inert environment where the materials are exposed to as little external influence as possible. Metal batteries have the potential to deliver more energy, at a lower weight, than the popular lithium-ion battery. The problem, however, is that the technology currently has too short a lifespan due to the highly reactive nature of the lithium metal within these batteries. New research from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, shows where the problems lie and how to overcome them by creating the metal electrode directly in the battery cell. Safer, more stable metal batteries Lithium-ion batteries are the most popular battery option today, but in a society facing widespread electrification, new battery technologies are needed that can provide more energy per weight or volume. This is important for the development of longer-range electric cars or electric aircraft for shorter distances. Therefore, attention is now turning to batteries with metal electrodes, where the graphite electrode of the lithium-ion battery has been replaced by lithium metal. For example, solid-state batteries, seen as one of the most promising upcoming technologies, use a metal electrode and provide cells that deliver a greater amount of energy than today's lithium-ion battery. However, metal electrodes suffer from one problem - the metal is reactive, which means it reacts easily with the surroundings and it is difficult to create a long-lasting cell. Metal batteries are one of the focus areas for Professor Aleksandar Matic's research group at the Department of Physics at Chalmers. They were the first research team to use 3D X-rays to monitor how the lithium in a lithium metal battery behaves in real time during use. These experiments have led to new insights into the crucial problem that arises in this type of battery - namely that the lithium forms 'dendrites', or uneven structures during charging and discharging, which over time affects the stability and function of the battery. Avoids surface layers that damage the metal electrode These are insights that the researchers have continued to build upon. They recently presented their research results on metal batteries in the Journal of The Electrochemical Society, showing a simple way to avoid the formation of a surface layer on the reactive metal electrode, which deteriorates the cycle life of the battery. Their results point to future strategies for making metal batteries both more stable and safer. "We work in a very inert environment, but even there the metal finds something to react with and a surface layer is formed, which affects how the metal behaves in the battery. However, we have seen that these reactions can actually be avoided by very simple means: instead of dealing with the reactive electrode materials outside the battery, we create our electrode inside the battery through a process called electroplating. This allows us to avoid the reactive metal reacting with the environment, which is an advantage as we get a more predictable and stable electrode," says Josef Rizell, doctoral student at the Department of Physics at Chalmers, who is the lead author of the recent paper together with Aleksandar Matic. Finding promising strategies for battery performance "A fundamental understanding of the processes that take place in and around the electrodes of a battery - when we charge and discharge - is crucial for developing better batteries in the future. A battery is very complex, and many different things happen in parallel, making the system difficult to analyse. We have tried to isolate each reaction or process separately and investigate how that particular process affects the functioning of the battery. The aim is to better understand what happens...

Finding Genius Podcast
Optimizing Weight Loss With Cold Therapy | Expert Insights From Timmy Håman Of Prime Science

Finding Genius Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 5, 2024 31:15


In this episode, we discuss the benefits of cold treatments with Timmy Håman, the founder of Prime Science. Hailing from Sweden and based in London, Timmy is an engineer with a master's in Electrical Engineering and the Management and Economics of Innovation from Chalmers University of Technology.  Timmy's personal journey is one of struggle and triumph. Battling with fat accumulation in his early 20s, he embarked on a transformative path to reclaim his health. As he honed his performance in the gym, he discovered the power of cold exposure. This revelation sparked a mission within him-to share the transformative potential of cold therapy with others.  Whether you are just starting out with exercise or are looking for ways to improve your routine, this conversation is certainly worth listening to. Tune in now to learn more about: How Timmy's past led him to pursue the field of health and fitness. How brown fat is different from white fat.  What cold therapy is, and how it interacts with fat cells.  The 3 main ways to increase brown fat formation.  You can find out more about Timmy and his work with Prime Science by clicking here! Take advantage of a 5% discount on Ekster accessories by using the code FINDINGGENIUS. Enhance your style and functionality with premium accessories. Visit bit.ly/3uiVX9R to explore latest collection. Episode also available on Apple Podcast: http://apple.co/30PvU9C

Irish Tech News Audio Articles
Breakthrough paves the way for next generation of vision implants

Irish Tech News Audio Articles

Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2024 8:01


A group of researchers from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, University of Freiburg and the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience have created an exceptionally small implant, with electrodes the size of a single neuron that can also remain intact in the body over time - a unique combination that holds promise for future vision implants for the blind. Often when a person is blind, some or part of the eye is damaged, but the visual cortex in the brain is still functioning and waiting for input. When considering brain stimulation for sight restoration, there needs to be thousands of electrodes going into an implant to build up enough information for an image. By sending electrical impulses via an implant to the visual cortex of the brain, an image can be created, and each electrode would represent one pixel. New generation of vision implants "This image would not be the world as someone with full vision would be able to see it. The image created by electrical impulses would be like the matrix board on a highway, a dark space and some spots that would light up depending on the information you are given. The more electrodes that 'feed' into it, the better the image would be," says Maria Asplund, who led the technology development part of the project and is Professor of Bioelectronics at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. The vision implant created in this study can be described as a 'thread' with many electrodes placed in a row, one after the other. In the long term you would need several threads with thousands of electrodes connected to each one, and the results of this study are a key step towards such an implant. The future of vision implants An electrical implant to improve vision in people with blindness is not a new concept. However, the implant technology currently being explored in human patients is from the 1990s and there are several factors that need to be improved, for example the bulky size, scarring in the brain due to their large size, materials corroding over time and materials being too rigid. By creating a really small electrode the size of a single neuron, researchers have the potential to fit lots of electrodes onto a single implant and build up a more detailed image for the user. The unique mix of flexible, non-corrosive materials make this a long-term solution for vision implants. "Miniaturisation of vision implant components is essential. Especially the electrodes, as they need to be small enough to be able to resolve stimulation to large numbers of spots in the 'brain visual areas'. The main research question for the team was, 'can we fit that many electrodes on an implant with the materials we have and make it small enough and also effective?' and the answer from this study was - yes," says Professor Asplund. The smaller the size, the worse the corrosion To create an electrical implant on such a small scale comes with its challenges, especially in a tough environment, such as the human body. The major obstacle is not to make the electrodes small, but to make such small electrodes last a long time in a moist, humid environment. Corrosion of metals in surgical implants is a huge problem, and because the metal is the functional part, as well as the corroding part, the amount of metal is key. The electrical implant that Asplund and her team have created measures in at a miniscule 40 micrometers wide and 10 micrometers thick, like a split hair, with the metal parts being only a few hundred nanometers in thickness. And since there is so little metal in the super tiny vision electrode, it cannot 'afford' to corrode at all, otherwise it would stop working. In the past, this problem has not been possible to solve. But now, the research team have created a unique mix of materials layered up together that do not corrode. This includes a conducting polymer to transduce the electrical stimulation required for the implant to work, to electrical responses in the neurons. The polymer forms a prote...

New Books Network
Communication Is the Selection of What to Say and How to Say It

New Books Network

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2024 54:49


Listen to this interview of Miroslaw Staron, Editor-in-Chief of Information and Software Technology and Professor in the Software engineering division, Chalmers | University of Gothenburg. We talk about the collaboration and mentorship which publishing is meant to be. Miroslaw Staron : "The communication through academic publication is of course important to every researcher's CV. But really, it's much more important for science overall. If we cannot communicate our ideas, then we cannot make those ideas available to the scrutiny of others. That is, if we are unable to show what we have actually worked on and which kind of methodology we have used to do that work, and if we can't really describe the kind of results we have achieved — then really, I mean, just ask yourself, how should someone else ever be able to get back to us to say, 'Yes, this is a good idea,' or, ‘No, this is a bad idea, but I know how to do it right'? Because that is the way to move the field forward — it all rests on the communication." Links Miroslaw's advice on writing Information and Software Technology Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Scholarly Communication
Communication Is the Selection of What to Say and How to Say It

Scholarly Communication

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2024 54:49


Listen to this interview of Miroslaw Staron, Editor-in-Chief of Information and Software Technology and Professor in the Software engineering division, Chalmers | University of Gothenburg. We talk about the collaboration and mentorship which publishing is meant to be. Miroslaw Staron : "The communication through academic publication is of course important to every researcher's CV. But really, it's much more important for science overall. If we cannot communicate our ideas, then we cannot make those ideas available to the scrutiny of others. That is, if we are unable to show what we have actually worked on and which kind of methodology we have used to do that work, and if we can't really describe the kind of results we have achieved — then really, I mean, just ask yourself, how should someone else ever be able to get back to us to say, 'Yes, this is a good idea,' or, ‘No, this is a bad idea, but I know how to do it right'? Because that is the way to move the field forward — it all rests on the communication." Links Miroslaw's advice on writing Information and Software Technology Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wissensnachrichten - Deutschlandfunk Nova
Ameisen, Winterfell, Kirschlorbeer

Wissensnachrichten - Deutschlandfunk Nova

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 18, 2024 5:24


Die Themen in unseren Wissensnachrichten: +++ Aromen essbarer Ameisen-Arten untersucht +++ Winterfell ist mehr als Farbe +++ Soll Deutschland Kirschlorbeer verbieten? +++**********Weiterführende Quellen zu dieser Folge:The many flavors of edible ants/ American Chemical Society, 17.03.2024Animal hair structure changes from summer to winter to fend off freezing weather/ American Chemical Society, 17.03.2024New truck front to save lives/ Chalmers University of Technology, 13.03.2024Das Potenzial einer grünlandbasierten Milchproduktion in Deutschland/ Greenpeace, 18.03.2024Evidence for an Oceanic Population of Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) in Offshore Waters of California and Oregon/ Aquatic Mammals, März 2024Alle Quellen findet ihr hier.**********Ihr könnt uns auch auf diesen Kanälen folgen: Tiktok und Instagram.

Aging-US
Mapping of the Gene Network That Regulates Glycan Clock of Ageing

Aging-US

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 3, 2024 4:22


BUFFALO, NY- January 3, 2024 – A new #research paper was #published in Aging (listed by MEDLINE/PubMed as "Aging (Albany NY)" and "Aging-US" by Web of Science) Volume 15, Issue 24, entitled, “Mapping of the gene network that regulates glycan clock of ageing.” Glycans are an essential structural component of immunoglobulin G (IgG) that modulate its structure and function. However, regulatory mechanisms behind this complex posttranslational modification are not well known. Previous genome-wide association studies (GWAS) identified 29 genomic regions involved in regulation of IgG glycosylation, but only a few were functionally validated. One of the key functional features of IgG glycosylation is the addition of galactose (galactosylation), a trait which was shown to be associated with ageing. In this new study, researchers Azra Frkatović-Hodžić, Anika Mijakovac, Karlo Miškec, Arina Nostaeva, Sodbo Z. Sharapov, Arianna Landini, Toomas Haller, Erik van den Akker, Sapna Sharma, Rafael R. C. Cuadrat, Massimo Mangino, Yong Li, Toma Keser, Najda Rudman, Tamara Štambuk, Maja Pučić-Baković, Irena Trbojević-Akmačić, Ivan Gudelj, Jerko Štambuk, Tea Pribić, Barbara Radovani, Petra Tominac, Krista Fischer, Marian Beekman, Manfred Wuhrer, Christian Gieger, Matthias B. Schulze, Clemens Wittenbecher, Ozren Polasek, Caroline Hayward, James F. Wilson, Tim D. Spector, Anna Köttgen, Frano Vučković, Yurii S. Aulchenko, Aleksandar Vojta, Jasminka Krištić, Lucija Klarić, Vlatka Zoldoš, and Gordan Lauc from Genos Glycoscience Research Laboratory, University of Zagreb, Novosibirsk State University, Lomonosov Moscow State University, University of Edinburgh, University of Tartu, Leiden University Medical Center, Delft University of Technology, Helmholtz Zentrum Muenchen, German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), King's College London, Guy's and St Thomas' Foundation Trust, University of Freiburg, University of Rijeka, German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, University of Potsdam, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Chalmers University of Technology, University of Split School of Medicine, Algebra University College, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS performed GWAS of IgG galactosylation (N=13,705) and identified 16 significantly associated loci, indicating that IgG galactosylation is regulated by a complex network of genes that extends beyond the galactosyltransferase enzyme that adds galactose to IgG glycans. “Here, we conducted a GWAS of IgG galactosylation phenotypes in a study that almost doubles the sample size (N=13,705) compared to previous GWAS of IgG N-glycome [33] and focused on the genes with in silico evidence for involvement in the IgG galactosylation process.” Gene prioritization identified 37 candidate genes. Using a recently developed CRISPR/dCas9 system, the researchers manipulated gene expression of candidate genes in the in vitro IgG expression system. Upregulation of three genes, EEF1A1, MANBA and TNFRSF13B, changed the IgG glycome composition, which confirmed that these three genes are involved in IgG galactosylation in this in vitro expression system. “Further research is needed to fully elucidate [the] functional mechanism behind their role in ageing and to reveal the complete network of gene interactions regulating the complex process of IgG glycosylation.” DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/aging.205106 Corresponding authors - Azra Frkatović-Hodžić - afrkatovic@genos.hr, and Gordan Lauc - glauc@genos.hr Visit our website at https://www.Aging-US.com​​ and connect with us: SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/Aging-Us Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AgingUS/ X - https://twitter.com/AgingJrnl Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/agingjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@AgingJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/aging/ Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/AgingUS/ MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM

Irish Tech News Audio Articles
How sodium-ion batteries could be Resource-efficient and climate-friendly

Irish Tech News Audio Articles

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 20, 2023 7:28


Sodium-ion batteries contain sodium - a very common substance found in table salt - instead of lithium. Credit: Chalmers The transition to a society without fossil fuels means that the need for batteries is increasing at a rapid pace. At the same time, the increase will mean a shortage of the metals lithium and cobalt, which are key components in the most common battery types. One option is a sodium-ion battery, where table salt and biomass from the forest industry make up the main raw materials. Now, researchers from Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, show that these sodium-ion batteries have an equivalent climate impact as their lithium-ion counterparts - without the risk of running out of raw materials. "The materials we use in the batteries of the future will be important in order to be able to switch to renewable energy and a fossil-free vehicle fleet," says Rickard Arvidsson, Associate Professor of Environmental Systems Analysis at Chalmers. According to the European Commission's Critical Raw Materials Act, the demand for critical raw battery materials is expected to increase exponentially as EU countries transition to renewable energy systems and electric vehicles. The green transition will also require more local production of batteries and other new fossil-free technologies, and a steady supply of raw materials is needed to meet demand. At the same time, such production carries a high risk of supply disruptions, due to the limited number of sources for raw materials. "Lithium-ion batteries are becoming a dominant technology in the world and they are better for the climate than fossil-based technology is, especially when it comes to transport. But lithium poses a bottleneck. You can't produce lithium-based batteries at the same rate as you want to produce electric cars, and the deposits risk being depleted in the long term," says Rickard Arvidsson. In addition to this, critical battery materials, such as lithium and cobalt, are largely mined in just a few places in the world, posing a risk to the supply. Sodium-ion batteries offer promising technology The development of new battery technologies is moving fast in the quest for the next generation of sustainable energy storage - which should preferably have a long lifetime, have a high energy density and be easy to produce. The research team at Chalmers chose to look at sodium-ion batteries, which contain sodium - a very common substance found in common sodium chloride - instead of lithium. In a new study, they have carried out a so-called life cycle assessment of the batteries, where they have examined their total environmental and resource impact during raw material extraction and manufacturing. "We came to the conclusion that sodium-ion batteries are much better than lithium-ion batteries in terms of impact on mineral resource scarcity, and equivalent in terms of climate impact. Depending on which scenario you look at, they end up at between 60 and just over 100 kilogrammes of carbon dioxide equivalents per kilowatt hour theoretical electricity storage capacity, which is lower than previously reported for this type of sodium-ion battery. It's clearly a promising technology," says Rickard Arvidsson. The researchers also identified a number of measures with the potential to further reduce climate impact, such as developing an environmentally better electrolyte, as it accounted for a large part of the battery's total impact. Green energy requires energy storage Today's sodium-ion batteries are already expected to be used for stationary energy storage in the electricity grid, and with continued development, they will probably also be used in electric vehicles in the future. "Energy storage is a prerequisite for the expansion of wind and solar power. Given that the storage is done predominantly with batteries, the question is what those batteries will be made from? Increased demand for lithium and cobalt could be an obstacle to this development," says Rickard Ar...

Masters of Privacy
Cristiana Santos and Victor Morel: The problem with CMPs and TCF-based cookie paywalls

Masters of Privacy

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 6, 2023 33:37


Cristiana Santos is Assistant Professor in Privacy and Data Protection Law at Utrecht University, holding a joint international Doctoral Degree in Law, Science and Technology from the University of Bologna, and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Luxembourg. She is an expert of the Data Protection Unit at the Council of Europe; expert for the implementation of the EDPB's Support Pool of Experts; and expert of the Digital Persuasion or Manipulation Expert Group. She holds an International Chair Starting Career position at the National Institute for Research in Digital Science and Technology (INRIA, 2023-2026) to work on technical and legal aspects of data protection. Prior to joining academia, Cristiana was a lawyer and worked as a legal adviser and lecturer at the Portuguese Consumer Protection Organization. Victor Morel holds a Ph.D in Computer Science from INRIA and works at the Security & Privacy Lab of Chalmers University in Gothenburg (Sweden). He is working on usable privacy for IoT applications, and his interests encompass privacy, data protection, networks security, usability and Human-Computer Interactions, applied cryptography, and the broad spectrum of ethics in technology. He is also a member of FELINN's collegiate council, a French association (1901) defending decentralization, privacy, and free software through popular education. Cristiana and Victor have co-authored a recent paper titled “Legitimate Interest is the New Consent – Large-Scale Measurement and Legal Compliance of IAB Europe TCF Paywalls”. With them we are directing our attention to consent walls in the context of publishers and the open market, having already dedicated two recent interviews to the “consent or pay” model as it concerns Instagram and Facebook (ie. Meta). We will also try to understand the challenges and potential conflicts of interest faced by CMP (Consent Management Platform) vendors.  References: Cristiana Santos at Utrecht University Victor Morel's bio and projects Legitimate Interest is the New Consent – Large-Scale Measurement and Legal Compliance of IAB Europe TCF Paywalls (Cristiana Santos, Victor Morel, Viktor Fredholm, Adam Thunberg, 20/9/2023) Upcoming Workshop on Privacy in the Electronic Society - with Victor Morel (Copenhagen, November 26th 2023) EDPB: Report of the work undertaken by the Cookie Banner Taskforce CJEU to consider questions from IAB Europe TCF decision (Techcrunch) German court bans LinkedIn from ignoring “Do Not Track” signals (Townflex) Your Consent Is Worth 75 Euros A Year -- Measurement and Lawfulness of Cookie Paywalls (20/9/2022) IAB TCF 2.2 specification  

Economist Podcasts
Babbage: How AI promises to revolutionise science

Economist Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2023 46:27


Discussions about artificial intelligence tend to focus on its risks, but there is also excitement on the horizon. AI tools, like the models beneath ChatGPT, are being increasingly used by scientists for everything from finding new drugs and materials to predicting the shapes of proteins. Self-driving lab robots could take things even further towards making new discoveries. As it gets ever more useful, could AI change the scientific process altogether?Jane Dyson, structural biologist at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, explains why Google DeepMind's AlphaFold tool is useful, but scientists should be aware of its limitations. This week, Google DeepMind released a new tool to unpick the link between genes and disease, as Pushmeet Kohli, head of the company's “AI for Science” team, explains. Also, Kunal Patel, one of our producers, meets Erik Bjurström, a researcher at Chalmers University of Technology and Ross King, a professor of Machine Intelligence at Chalmers University of Technology and at the University of Cambridge. They explain why self-driving lab robots could make research more efficient. Alok Jha, The Economist's science and technology editor hosts, with Abby Bertics, our science correspondent and Tom Standage, deputy editor. Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited time offer: economist.com/podcastsplus-babbage. You will not be charged until Economist Podcasts+ launches.If you're already a subscriber to The Economist, you'll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our FAQs page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Babbage from Economist Radio
Babbage: How AI promises to revolutionise science

Babbage from Economist Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2023 46:27


Discussions about artificial intelligence tend to focus on its risks, but there is also excitement on the horizon. AI tools, like the models beneath ChatGPT, are being increasingly used by scientists for everything from finding new drugs and materials to predicting the shapes of proteins. Self-driving lab robots could take things even further towards making new discoveries. As it gets ever more useful, could AI change the scientific process altogether?Jane Dyson, structural biologist at the Scripps Research Institute in La Jolla, California, explains why Google DeepMind's AlphaFold tool is useful, but scientists should be aware of its limitations. This week, Google DeepMind released a new tool to unpick the link between genes and disease, as Pushmeet Kohli, head of the company's “AI for Science” team, explains. Also, Kunal Patel, one of our producers, meets Erik Bjurström, a researcher at Chalmers University of Technology and Ross King, a professor of Machine Intelligence at Chalmers University of Technology and at the University of Cambridge. They explain why self-driving lab robots could make research more efficient. Alok Jha, The Economist's science and technology editor hosts, with Abby Bertics, our science correspondent and Tom Standage, deputy editor. Sign up for Economist Podcasts+ now and get 50% off your subscription with our limited time offer: economist.com/podcastsplus-babbage. You will not be charged until Economist Podcasts+ launches.If you're already a subscriber to The Economist, you'll have full access to all our shows as part of your subscription.For more information about Economist Podcasts+, including how to get access, please visit our FAQs page. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Shifting Privacy Left Podcast
S2E27: "Automated Privacy Decisions: Usability vs. Lawfulness" with Simone Fischer-Hübner & Victor Morel

The Shifting Privacy Left Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 12, 2023 44:18 Transcription Available


Today, I welcome Victor Morel, PhD and Simone Fischer-Hübner, PhD to discuss their recent paper, "Automating Privacy Decisions – where to draw the line?" and their proposed classification scheme. We dive into the complexity of automating privacy decisions and emphasize the importance of maintaining both compliance and usability (e.g., via user control and informed consent). Simone is a Professor of Computer Science at Karlstad University with over 30 years of privacy & security research experience. Victor is a post-doc researcher at Chalmers University's Security & Privacy Lab, focusing on privacy, data protection, and technology ethics.Together, they share their privacy decision-making classification scheme and research across two dimensions: (1) the type of privacy decisions: privacy permissions, privacy preference settings, consent to processing, or rejection to processing; and (2) the level of decision automation: manual, semi-automated, or fully-automated. Each type of privacy decision plays a critical role in users' ability to control the disclosure and processing of their personal data. They emphasize the significance of tailored recommendations to help users make informed decisions and discuss the potential of on-the-fly privacy decisions. We wrap up with organizations' approaches to achieving usable and transparent privacy across various technologies, including web, mobile, and IoT. Topics Covered:Why Simone & Victor focused their research on automating privacy decisions How GDPR & ePrivacy have shaped requirements for privacy automation toolsThe 'types' privacy decisions & associated 'levels of automation': privacy permissions, privacy preference settings, consent to processing, & rejection to processingThe 'levels of automation' for each privacy decision type: manual, semi-automated & fully-automated; and the pros / cons of automating each privacy decision typePreferences & concerns regarding IoT Trigger Action PlatformsWhy the only privacy decisions that you should 'fully automate' are the rejection of processing: i.e., revoking consent or opting outBest practices for achieving informed controlAutomation challenges across web, mobile, & IoTMozilla's automated cookie banner management & why it's problematic (i.e., unlawful)Resources Mentioned:"Automating Privacy Decisions – where to draw the line?"CyberSecIT at Chalmers University of Technology"Tapping into Privacy: A Study of User Preferences and Concerns on Trigger-Action Platforms"Consent O Matic browser extension Privado.ai Privacy assurance at the speed of product development. Get instant visibility w/ privacy code scans.Shifting Privacy Left Media Where privacy engineers gather, share, & learnDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Copyright © 2022 - 2024 Principled LLC. All rights reserved.

Because You Need to Know Podcast
ISO 30401:2018 – All things about Knowledge Standards with Nick Milton

Because You Need to Know Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2023 21:48 Transcription Available


Nick Milton is director and co-founder of Knoco Ltd ( www.knoco.com ) with over 30 years' experience in Knowledge Management. Working with Knoco Ltd, Nick has helped develop and deliver KM strategies, implementation plans and services in a wide range of different organizations around the globe. He has a particular interest in Lessons Learned programs, Communities of Practice, Knowledge Retention, KM Strategy, KM assessment and KM implementation. He has worked with KM teams in multiple sectors and in more than 40 countries. Prior to founding Knoco, Nick spent two years at the center of the team that made BP the leading KM company in the world at the time; acting as the team Knowledge Manager, developing and implementing BP's knowledge of "how to manage knowledge", and coordinating the BP KM Community of Practice.  Nick is a widely recognized coach and trainer, and has given keynote speeches at most of the leading international Knowledge Management conferences, such as KM World, KM Europe, KMUK, KM Russia, KM Egypt, IAPG Argentina, IKM Jakarta, KM Singapore and KM Brazil. In 2007 he was awarded “Lecturer of the year” from Chalmers University. He was a member of the international working group which developed ISO 30401, the management systems standard for KM, and a co-author of BSI 34401, the guide to use of the ISO standard.Nick blogs most weeks (www.nickmilton.com) and can be found on Twitter (@nickknoco). He is based in the UK, near the city of Bath. Nick is the author/co-author of the following books: The Knowledge Manager's handbook Designing a Successful KM Strategy The Lessons Learned handbook Knowledge Management for Teams and Projects Knowledge Management for Sales and Marketing Performance through Learning – knowledge management in practice

Because You Need to Know Podcast
The State of KM with Nick Milton

Because You Need to Know Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2023 51:32 Transcription Available


Nick Milton is director and co-founder of Knoco Ltd ( www.knoco.com ) with over 30 years' experience in Knowledge Management. Working with Knoco Ltd, Nick has helped develop and deliver KM strategies, implementation plans and services in a wide range of different organizations around the globe. He has a particular interest in Lessons Learned programs, Communities of Practice, Knowledge Retention, KM Strategy, KM assessment and KM implementation. He has worked with KM teams in multiple sectors and in more than 40 countries. Prior to founding Knoco, Nick spent two years at the center of the team that made BP the leading KM company in the world at the time; acting as the team Knowledge Manager, developing and implementing BP's knowledge of "how to manage knowledge", and coordinating the BP KM Community of Practice.  Nick is a widely recognized coach and trainer, and has given keynote speeches at most of the leading international Knowledge Management conferences, such as KM World, KM Europe, KMUK, KM Russia, KM Egypt, IAPG Argentina, IKM Jakarta, KM Singapore and KM Brazil. In 2007 he was awarded “Lecturer of the year” from Chalmers University. He was a member of the international working group which developed ISO 30401, the management systems standard for KM, and a co-author of BSI 34401, the guide to use of the ISO standard.Nick blogs most weeks (www.nickmilton.com) and can be found on Twitter (@nickknoco). He is based in the UK, near the city of Bath. Nick is the author/co-author of the following books: The Knowledge Manager's handbook Designing a Successful KM Strategy The Lessons Learned handbook Knowledge Management for Teams and Projects Knowledge Management for Sales and Marketing Performance through Learning – knowledge management in practice

China Flexpat
#131 How to build a sustainable Flexpat lifestyle with your family

China Flexpat

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 26, 2023 22:45


Reduce your cost of living to the bare minimum in order to build a sustainable Flexpat lifestyle. - What are the easiest ways to reduce the cost of living? - How can international children attend public school? - Why should children attend Chinese kindergarten and school? - How do you deal with performance pressure? - How can you build a sustainable Flexpat profile and perform? - Why should international companies hire Flexpats? Currently, Dr. Lockstrom is a Senior Associate Professor of Operations Management at Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University in Suzhou, China, where he is teaching and doing research in the areas of purchasing, logistics, and supply chain/operations management. He is also currently serving as Director of the Centre for Case Development (CCD). Dr. Lockstrom received his BSc/MSc in Industrial Engineering and Management at Chalmers University of Technology and his Ph.D. in Operations Management from European Business School, Germany. He has previously taught graduate courses at European Business School, Moscow State University, Tongji University, and MBA courses at CEIBS. He has published more than 50 academic and practice-oriented papers and book chapters, and made more than 60 conference appearances. Prof. Lockstrom has more than two decades of consulting experience working with multinational corporations such as BMW, Atlas Copco, DuPont, and EY, among others, and has also founded and operated multiple business ventures in the past. WeChat: loco_barocco ____ Please also tune in to episode 123 on working in China as an academic professional (professor) 129 why Flexpats are leaving 111 Prepare Expat assignment 107 Transition from Expat to Flexpat 90 Flexpat Lifestyle 25 Transition from Expat to Flexpat - Kids in Homeschooling Contact Francis (Wechat: Flexpat2020) if you want to join our Flexpat wechat community

Philosophical Disquisitions
103 - GPT: How worried should we be?

Philosophical Disquisitions

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 23, 2023


In this episode of the podcast, I chat to Olle Häggström. Olle is a professor of mathematical statistics at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. We talk about GPT and LLMs more generally. What are they? Are they intelligent? What risks do they pose or presage? Are we proceeding with the development of this technology in a reckless way? We try to answer all these questions, and more. You can download the episode here or listen below. You can also subscribe the podcast on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon or whatever your preferred service might be. #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */ Subscribe to the newsletter

Golf 360
Episode 099: Ismail Benhayoun –How AI is changing golf and the world around us for the better, Why using data to drive golf club and shaft design is a wonderful thing, and What is his and Altair's role in that process?

Golf 360

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2023 136:33


Ismail Benhayoun is a senior director of engineering and the account director for the golf industry at Altair, a global leader in computational science and artificial intelligence (AI). He works shoulder-to-shoulder with the world's leading golf manufacturers like PING, Cleveland Golf, Titleist, Taylor Made, Wilson, and many more to leverage the convergence of simulation technology, high-performance computing, data analytics, and AI to design better performing golf equipment. Based in Irvine, CA, Ismail has 15 years of experience in product design and virtual engineering and has been interviewed by media outlets including Forbes to discuss the methodologies and technologies used to design golf equipment.  Ismail has a double Master of Science degree in mechanical engineering and applied physics from the National School of Engineering of Nancy (France) and Chalmers University of Technology (Gothenburg, Sweden). Ismail began his career in the automotive industry at General Motors Europe – Saab Automobile AB where he was focused on accelerating the product development cycle by applying simulation-driven design to speed up the time to market while reducing cost.  Ismail joined Altair in 2012 at its operations in Sweden and has held several technical and leadership roles during his tenure. Sponsors: Get your 15% discount on your next order of JustThrive Probiotic at https://justthrivehealth.com/ (use code: GOLF360) Looking to play one of the best golf courses in the Hilton Head Island area? Be sure to check out Old South Golf Links and have one of your best golf experiences ever https://www.oldsouthgolf.com/ Others: The Stack is the games premiere training device to increase your swing speed. Check them out at https://www.thestacksystem.com/ and be sure to enter GOLF360 at checkout for your discount.

EV News Daily - Electric Car Podcast

It's EV News Briefly for Thursday 9th March. I'll be back as usual at 5pm UK time, that's Midday Eastern, for the full podcast.  Patreon supporters get the episodes as soon as they're ready AND ad free. You can be like them by clicking here. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV comes with three powertrain options, priced between $79,050 and $90,650, and will be built in Alabama to compete with the BMW iX and Audi E-Tron. It offers features like 10-degree rear-axle steering, fast charging, and adjustable damping, with an optional air suspension. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating 120,000 Tesla Model Y vehicles due to reports of steering wheels falling off while driving. Two incidents have been reported due to missing retaining bolts, and a recall could follow pending the investigation's outcome. Nissan is recalling some 2023 Nissan Ariya electric SUVs due to the possibility of the steering wheel detaching. The recall covers 1,063 vehicles, and owners are encouraged to check for loose steering wheels and contact a dealership for a replacement. Volkswagen may prefer to build its first battery cell factory in North America, with potential incentives of up to €10 billion under the US Inflation Reduction Act. The company is awaiting the EU's reaction before deciding to build a plant in Eastern Europe, and other European battery manufacturers may also look to the US for subsidies. The long-wheelbase version of the Volkswagen ID.Buzz electric van will debut in June in the US for the 2024 model year. It offers seven seats as standard, a larger battery pack than other versions, and optional dual-motor all-wheel drive. Pricing and range estimates will be available upon its debut. VinFast's founder established a rental service for electric cars and scooters in Vietnam, offering a fleet of 10,000 electric cars and 100,000 electric scooters, as well as its own all-electric taxi service in Hanoi. The cars will be VinFast vehicles, and the company seeks to promote EVs by offering test drives and other opportunities. Bafang, an electric bicycle giant, has formed a new brand called T&D to expand its influence into the electric motorcycle industry. It has unveiled its first drivetrains, the FE01 Off-Road Drive System and the LI01 City Commuting Drive System, with up to 60 kW of peak power and 125 Nm of torque, aiming for more affordable electric motorcycles. Chalmers University researchers have developed an induction technology capable of charging at 500 kW with nearly 100% efficiency, nearing commercialization. It is made possible with high-power semiconductors, such as silicon carbide components, and works with four times higher frequencies than previous wireless charging systems. House Republicans have introduced legislation to restrict California's ability to ban gas-powered cars, protecting consumer choice and preventing higher costs. The 2035 rule would affect over 40% of total US car purchases, and the legislation aims to prevent California from implementing stricter emissions standards than the federal government. Lightship, a new company founded by two Tesla veterans, has created an electric-assisted camping trailer called the L1 that can be towed without affecting an EV's range. It has an 80 kWh battery and up to 3 kW of solar power, priced at $125,000, with production starting in late 2024. New York City is banning the sale of electric bicycles, scooters, and other mobility devices that are not UL-certified, reducing the risk of lithium-ion battery fires. The new law requires devices to be certified to the UL 2849 standard, and while lithium-ion battery fires are rare, they can result in significant property damage and fatalities. Electric vehicle transmissions have fewer components and a simpler powertrain than those used in standard combustion engine vehicles. There are different types of EV transmissions, including single-speed, multi-speed, and continuously variable options. Bosch and Inmotive have developed advanced transmission technologies that offer significant advantages over single-speed transmissions, such as energy savings and improved range and performance. Wyclef Jean Launches the ‘Lightest Electric Supercar' That Can Go 0 to 60 in 2.3 Sec - Haitian rapper and musician, Wyclef Jean, has launched the Attucks Apex APO electric supercar, the lightest-ever electric supercar on the market, with an ultralow weight of 1200 kg, a top speed of 190 mph, and acceleration from 0-60 mph in 2.3 seconds. The APO electric supercar will start at around $350,000 and is set for its official release next year.

The Fully Charged PLUS Podcast
Polestar Takes The Lead On Sustainability with Fredrika Klarén

The Fully Charged PLUS Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2023 41:19


Robert is joined this week by Fredrika Klarén, Head of Sustainability at Polestar, to hear about their ambitions to become leaders in sustainable EV manufacturing. Working with Volvo and a range of recycling partners around the world, Polestar are building the capability to recycle and extend the life of many of the components used within their EVs, therefore easing the burden on the wider supply chains that these products are sourced from. Fredrika joined Polestar in April 2020 to drive the company's sustainability ambitions forward on issues such as climate-neutrality, circularity, transparency and inclusion. Fredrika is chair of the board for Agenda 2030 West, an organisation enabling partnership between academia, business, civil society and public sector for the 17 SDGs. She is a firm believer in the role of business as a catalyst for sustainable development and has held sustainability positions over the past decade at IKEA and Swedish fashion retailer KappAhl. She studied Civil Engineering with a focus on Environmental Systems Analysis at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden.

The Haskell Interlude
22: Alejandro Russo

The Haskell Interlude

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2023 48:39


In this episode Andres Löh and Niki Vazou talk with Alejandro Russo.  Alejandro is a professor at Chalmers University in Gothenburg Sweden, he is an enthusiastic functional programmer as well as a researcher in the fields of security and privacy. He talks about the unique strengths Haskell has in these areas and how to move research ideas into industry. 

Exploring Astrophysics
Dr Gina Panopoulou, Assistant professor, Chalmers University of Technology

Exploring Astrophysics

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 27, 2022 16:36


In this episode, Dr Panopoulou spoke about how every galaxy has a magnetic field, and by using the polarisation of light we are able to map the structure of this field in our galaxy. We talked about the difficulties of doing this, including the limited information the polarisation of light can convey and how hard it is to check the accuracy of any results. 

Global Greek Influence
The value of researchers in science, engineering and technology

Global Greek Influence

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 18, 2022 21:15


"The value of researchers in science, engineering and technology" is about i) re-inventing their research field and bringing transparency to the new market and economy, ii) creating an environment where researchers can also thrive as individuals based on their talents and human approach, iii) enjoying more every moment and step without worrying too much or striving for perfection. I am talking to Dr Vassilis Katos, a Professor of Cybersecurity and Head of the Computer Emergency Response Team at Bournemouth University (BU-CERT) in the U.K., Dr Kostas Stylidis CEO and Co-Founder of Intended Future, an Associate Professor at University West and part-time associate researcher at the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, Professor Anna Stephanopoulou, William Clay Ford Professor of Technology, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Michigan University, Ann Arbor in the U.S. and Dr Constantine Stratakis, Chief Scientific Officer, ELPEN, Athens, Greece- Director (Res. A'), Human Genetics & Precision Medicine at Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH) in Greece. Music: "Fortitude" by Humans Win Source: Storyblocks --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/panagiota-pimenidou/message

Dr. Howard Smith Oncall
Detecting All Cancers Earlier

Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 11, 2022 1:21


  Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/iOVqB2XL6VU   Glycosaminoglycans are sugars that undergo unique structural changes when normal cells become malignant.  Swedish researchers now report the results of their multisite, international study that successfully detected all 14 different types of cancer that were under investigation.  Comparing the detection of altered glycosaminoglycans with neoplasm DNA fragment detection as a means of implementing so called Multi-Cancer Early Detection or MCED, the investigators were heartened to find that the sugar analysis detected more types of cancer at the earliest stages than DNA detection.   The best news: glycosaminoglycan analysis is relatively cheap opening up the possibility of its wide application.  The technique is being commercialized by the startup Elypta, a Chalmers University of Technology spinoff.   https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2115328119   #cancer #glycoaminoglycans #sugar #polysaccarides #oncology #earlydetection #mced  

Global Greek Influence
Advanced automobility and transportation- Part 2: Artificial Intelligence (A.I.)

Global Greek Influence

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 4, 2022 24:46


"Advanced automobility and transportation- Part 2: Artificial Intelligence (A.I.)" is about bringing together engineering knowledge, human senses, and product quality, also improving operational instabilities in advanced automobility (fuel cells), "connected and autonomous" vehicles (CAVs) and sustainable transport cybersecurity. I am talking to Professor Anna Stephanopoulou, William Clay Ford Professor of Technology, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Michigan University, Ann Arbor in the U.S., Dr Alexandros Nikitas from the Huddersfield Business School and Director of the Future Mobility Lab at the University of Huddersfield in the U.K., Dr Kostas Stylidis CEO and Co-Founder of Intended Future, an Associate Professor at University West and part-time associate researcher at the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden and Dr Vassilis Katos, a Professor of Cybersecurity and Head of the Computer Emergency Response Team at Bournemouth University (BU-CERT) in the U.K. also leading the University's team of the flagship ECHO pilot, part of the European network of Cybersecurity centres and competence Hub for innovation and Operations (more than 160 partners). To find out more about upcoming episodes, follow the Global Greek Influence podcast on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Another special episode to subscribers only on "The value of researchers in science, engineering and technology" is on 18 December 2022. With special guests who speak about the transparency research brings to the new market and economy, the process of transition of an established researcher shifting to a new area in research, supporting and nurturing professional growth of doctoral students in and for an ambiguous and uncertain future and more. Until next Sunday. Music: "Fortitude" by Humans Win Source: Storyblocks --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/panagiota-pimenidou/message

Augmented - the industry 4.0 podcast
Episode 104: A Scandinavian Perspective on Industrial Operator Independence with Johan Stahre

Augmented - the industry 4.0 podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 30, 2022 44:01


Augmented reveals the stories behind the new era of industrial operations, where technology will restore the agility of frontline workers. In this episode of the podcast, the topic is "A Scandinavian Perspective on Industrial Operator Independence." Our guest is Johan Stahre (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jstahre/), Professor and Chair of Production Systems at Chalmers University in Sweden. In this conversation, we talk about how the field of human-centered automation has evolved, the contemporary notion of operator 4.0, Scandinavian worker independence, shop floor innovation at Volvo, factories of the future, modern production systems, robots, and cobots in manufacturing. If you like this show, subscribe at augmentedpodcast.co (https://www.augmentedpodcast.co/). If you like this episode, you might also like Episode 84 on The Evolution of Lean with Professor Torbjørn Netland from ETH Zürich (https://www.augmentedpodcast.co/84). Augmented is a podcast for industry leaders, process engineers, and shop floor operators, hosted by futurist Trond Arne Undheim (https://trondundheim.com/) and presented by Tulip (https://tulip.co/). Follow the podcast on Twitter (https://twitter.com/AugmentedPod) or LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/75424477/). Trond's Takeaway: Human-centered automation is the only kind of automation that we should be thinking about, and this is becoming more and more clear. Operators are fiercely independent, and so should they be. This is the only way they can spot problems on the shop floor, by combining human skills with automation in new ways augmenting workers. It seems the workforce does not so much need engagement as they need enablement. Fix that, and a lot can happen. Transcript: TROND: Welcome to another episode of the Augmented Podcast. Augmented brings industrial conversations that matter, serving up the most relevant conversations on industrial tech. Our vision is a world where technology will restore the agility of frontline workers. In this episode of the podcast, the topic is A Scandinavian Perspective on Industrial Operator Independence. Our guest is Johan Stahre, Professor and Chair of Production Systems at Chalmers University in Sweden. In this conversation, we talk about how the field of human-centered automation has evolved, the contemporary notion of operator 4.0, Scandinavian worker independence, shop floor innovation at Volvo, factories of the future, modern production systems, robots, and cobots in manufacturing. Augmented is a podcast for industrial leaders, process engineers, and shop floor operators hosted by futurist Trond Arne Undheim and presented by Tulip. Johan, Welcome. How are you? JOHAN: I'm fine, thank you, Trond. It's really nice to see you. TROND: Yeah, likewise. JOHAN: Fellow Nordic person. TROND: Fellow Nordic person. And I apologize for this very American greeting, you know, how are you? As you know, I'm from the Nordic region. I actually mean it, [laughs] you know, it was a question. So I do wonder. [laughs] JOHAN: I'm actually fine. It's just ending the vacation, so I'm a little bit sad about that because everyone...but it's a very nice time now because the rest of the world seems to be on vacation, so you can get a lot of work done. TROND: I concur; that is a wonderful time. Johan, I wanted to just briefly talk about your exciting background. You are an engineer, a mechanical engineer from Sweden. And you had your initial degree from Linköping University. Then you went on to do your Ph.D. a while back in manufacturing automation, and this was at Chalmers, the University in Sweden. And that's where you have done your career in manufacturing research. You are, I think, the first Scandinavian researcher certainly stationed currently in Sweden that we've had on the podcast. So I'm kind of curious, what is manufacturing like in Scandinavia? And what is it that fascinated you about this topic so that you have moved so deeply into it? JOHAN: Manufacturing in Sweden is the core; it's the backbone of our country in a sense. We have statistically too many large manufacturing companies in Sweden as compared to, I mean, we're only 10 million people, but we have like 10, 12 pretty large companies in the manufacturing area in automotive but also in electronics like Ericsson, you have Volvo, we have SKF. We have a lot of big companies. Sweden has an industrial structure that we have several small companies and a couple of large companies, not so many in the middle section there. This happened, actually, in the 1800s somewhere. There was a big growth of big companies, and there was a lot of effort from the government to support this, and that has been continued. So the Swedish government has supported the growth of industry in Sweden, and therefore we have a very strong industry and also quite good digital growth and maturity. TROND: So the Scandinavian background to me when I was there, I remember that one of the things that at least Scandinavian researchers think is distinct about Scandinavia is worker independence. And it's something that I kind of wanted to just tease out a little bit in the beginning of this podcast. Am I wrong in this, or is there something distinct about the relationship between, I guess, workers and managers in Scandinavia, particularly? One speaks about the Scandinavian model. Can you outline a little bit what that means in manufacturing if it still exists? It's an open question. JOHAN: From my perspective, Sweden usually ranks very high in innovation, also when it comes to international rankings. And I think some of that has to do with the openness and the freedom of thinking in a sense and not so hierarchical, more consensus-oriented, ability to test and check and experiment at work without getting repercussions from top management. And it is much easier. In fact, if you are at one department in a manufacturing company or in university as such and you want to collaborate with another colleague across the aisle, if you have a two hierarchical system, you need to go three levels up in order to be able to do that. But here, I think it's easier to just walk across the aisle to have this collaboration and establish a cooperative environment. I think that that's part of the reason. Also, we're not so many; I mean, I think historically, we needed to do a lot of things ourselves in Sweden. We were a country up north with not so many people, and we have harsh environments, and I think it's the same as Norway. I mean, you need to be self-sustainable in that sense, and that creates, I think, environmental collaboration. TROND: We'll go more deeply into your research on manufacturing and to what extent a question I asked here matters to that. But do you have a sense just at the outset here that this type of worker and operators sort of independence, relative independence, perhaps compared to other regions, is it changing at all? Or is this kind of a feature that is a staple of Scandinavian culture and will be hard to change both for good and for bad? JOHAN: I think that as everything...digitalization has sort of erased a lot of the cultural differences across the world in that sense. Because when I was a student, there was not this expressed digital environment, of course. The information environment was less complex. But I think now all the young people, as well as my mother, does her banking...she's 90, but she does her banking on her iPad; I mean, it's very well-spread. And I think that we are all moving towards a similar culture, and the technology is spreading so quick. So you cannot really have cultural differences in that sense. But I think that's still the way that we're using this. And I think that the collaborative sense I think that that is still there. The reason why Sweden is comparatively innovative still is that we still maintain our culture and use the technology to augment that capability. TROND: So, Johan, we'll talk about a bunch of your experiences because you obviously are based in Sweden. And because of Sweden's industrial situation, you have some examples, you know, Volvo, a world-famous company obviously, and also famous for its management practices, and its factory practices, we'll get into that. But you've also worked, and you're advising entities such as the World Economic Forum, and you are active on the European stage with the European Institute of Technology. Your activity clearly goes way, way beyond these borders. But why don't we maybe start with some of these Scandinavian experiences and research projects that you've done maybe with Volvo? What is it with Volvo that captured people's attention early on? And what sort of experience and research have you done with Volvo? JOHAN: I think that Volvo is very innovative, and Volvo today is two types of companies; one is the car company that has now gone fully electric. It was introduced at the stock market, most recently owned by a Chinese company, and before that, it was owned by Ford, and before that, it was also public. But you also have the other part, which is the Volvo Group, which is looking at trucks, and boats, and things like that. And they both share a high level of innovation, ambition, innovation, and power, I think, using the experiences already from the '60s, where you had a lot of freedom as an employee. And also very good collaboration with the union in investments and in all the changes in the company I think that has been very beneficial. And it's made them...what is now Volvo Cars was very, very early, for example, with digital twins. They were experimenting with digital twins already in the 1990s. And we work together with Volvo but also with SKF, which is a roller-bearing company here to look at how we can support frontline workers and augment their capabilities because they're very skilled and they're very experienced. But sometimes you need to have sensor input, and you need to have structures, and rules, and procedures, and instructions. So we worked quite early with them already, maybe in 2009, 2010, to see how can we transform their work situation, provide them with work instructions through wearable devices. It was very popular at that time. MIT was experimenting with cyborgs. And the people that were...I think it was Thad Starner; he was trying to put on a lot of computer equipment. Then he went through the security at the airport and had some problems there. But that's not the case for the operators. But it was a little bit too early, I think. We tried to experiment with some of the maintenance people at Volvo cars. And they were very interested in the technology, but the use for it was a little bit obscure. And this was at the time when you had the mobile connectivity was 9,600 kilobits through a mobile phone or in the modem, so Wi-Fi more or less did not exist. And the equipment: the batteries weighed two kilos, and the computer weighed one kilo. And then you had a headset that looked like you came from deployment in a war zone. So it was a little bit...it looked a little bit too spacy for them to be actually applicable. And then some 10 years later, we actually did a similar experiment with SKF, the roller bearing company where we deployed the first iPod touch, I think they were called. That was right before the iPhone. I think it was an experiment by Steve Jobs to see how can we create what then became the iPhone screen. And we put that on the arms of the operators and tried to see how can we give them an overview of the process situation. So they were constantly aware, and they were quite happy about this. And then, we wanted to finish the experiment. The operators actually said, "Well, we don't want to give the equipment back." And then we said, "Well, we need to have it back. Of course, you can use the software." So they brought their own phones, and they downloaded the software. And they're still using it, actually, not on their own phones anymore. But they use this kind of software that we developed at that time together with them. So that was quite interesting. TROND: That's fascinating. Extrapolating from some of these early experiences up until now, I wanted to just ask you this from a research perspective, but also, I guess, from a management perspective. So you work on production systems. What is really the goal here, or what has the objective been early on? You talked about these early MIT experiments. And I know control systems is a very old area of research. And from what I understand, in the early days, the use cases weren't just factories; they were also on spacecraft and things. But to your point, especially earlier, we were working with very, very different technology interfaces. But now, obviously, we are starting to roll out 5G, which gives a whole other type of richness. But does it really matter how rich the technology interface is? Or does it matter more what the objective is with these various types of augmentations that have been attempted really throughout the decades? Can you just give us a little sense of what researchers and yourself what you were trying to augment and how that depends or doesn't depend on the quality of technology? JOHAN: First, we need to realize that the manufacturing industry has always been a very, very early adopter. The first computers were used for war simulations and for making propellers for submarines to see how you can program the milling machines. This was in the 1950s. And the industrial robots in the '60s in the '70s were also very early applications of digitalization. Before anything else had computers, the manufacturing industry was using it, and that's still the case. That might surprise some people. When they walk out into a shop floor, they see no computers around because all the computers are built into the machines already. What is still missing is the link, perhaps to the people. So they are still using the screens. And they are the ones...people are the key components of handling complex and unforeseeable situations. So you need to provide them, I think...to be really productive, you need to provide the frontline staff with the equipment for them to avoid and to foresee and to handle unforeseen situations because that's what differs between the man and machine or a human and the machine. People are much more apt to solve a complex situation that was not programmed before. That's the augmentation part here; how can we augment the human capabilities? And people talk about augmented reality; I mean, I don't think it's the reality that needs to be augmented; it's the human to be handling the reality that needs to be augmented. TROND: Johan, this is so fascinating because, first of all, it's quite easy to dismiss manufacturing a little bit these days because, to the untrained eye, all the excitement is in the consumer space because that's where the new devices get released, and that's, obviously, where all the attention is these days unless you obviously are in manufacturing. But can you bring us back to those early days of computing when a lot of the use cases for computing were first explored with manufacturing? So you talked about MIT, and back at MIT and at Stanford, all the way back to the '60s, they were exploring this new and fascinating field of even artificial intelligence, but before that, just regular control systems, electronic interfaces. What fork in the road would you say happened there? Because clearly, the fascination has been with digitalizing everything and software kind of one for 30 years, but in manufacturing, it's more complicated. You say people, so it's people, and then it's kind of these production systems that you research. That's not the same as the use case of an individual with their phone, and they're sort of talking to people. There are many, many more variables in play here. What is the real difference? JOHAN: Last year actually the European Commission put forth industry 5.0, which should be the follower after industry 4.0. And they based that on three main challenges. One is sustainability, one is resilience, and the various kinds of resilience towards the shock of the war but also by climate, et cetera. And the third one is actually human-centeredness to see how can we really fully deploy human capabilities in a society and also in industry, of course. I think what you're referring to is the two guys at Stanford in the '60s; one was John McCarthy. He was the inventor of the artificial intelligence concept. His aim then was to replace human work. That was the ambition with the artificial intelligence because human work is not as productive as computing work, but it still has some drawbacks. But in the same place not so far away, in another department at Stanford, was a guy called Douglas Engelbart. And he was actually the father of...he called it intelligence augmentation. So it was AI and IA at that time. But his ambition was to augment human work to see how can you have this. And he was the one that invented hypertext and the mouse. And he put up the first hypermedia set in Silicon Valley. So this was a guy that inspired companies like Apple, and Xerox PARC, those kinds of institutions that had a huge bearing. There was a book by a research colleague at Oxford. He was comparing that over time, from the early industrial days and then forward, technology that replaces people always has more complications when introduced and scaled than technology that augments people. If you look at the acceptance and the adoption of the iPhone, that took months, or weeks, or whatever, seconds for some people, for me, for example. If you look at what happened in the industrial revolutions in the 1800s and the 1700s, you had a lot of upheaval, and already in the 1960s...I'm starting to sound like a university professor. But in '96, in the U.S., there was a Senate hearing about is automation taking the jobs from people or not? And the conclusion was that it is not, it is actually creating companies that then employ more people because of the productivity gains and the innovation gains. And you allow people to use the automation as augmentation, not only cognitive augmentation. We think a lot about augmentation as something that you do with your eyes and your brain. But robots are also augmenting people. It lifts heavy objects like cars or big containers, whatever. That's the kind of augmentation that maybe you don't consider when you look at it from an artificial or an augmented reality perspective. TROND: Well, so many things to pick up here. But the variety of meanings of augmentation are kind of astounding, aren't they? And you've written about this operator 4.0 several times. There's obviously cognitive augmentation, and then there's physical augmentation. Are there other types of augmentation that you can speak of? JOHAN: I really can't think of any. TROND: But those are the main ones. So it's either kind of your mentality or sort of your knowledge. So the work instruction parts go to the skills-based, I guess, augmentation, which perhaps is an additional one. Or I'm just thinking if manufacturing wants to make progress in these things, it would perhaps make sense to really verify what workers at any moment actually themselves express that they need. And I guess that's what I was fishing for a little bit here in this history of all of this, whether the technology developers at all moments really have a clear idea of what it is that the workers are saying themselves they're missing or that they obviously are missing. Because automation and augmentation, I mean, do you find them diametrically opposed, or are they merely complementary when it works well? JOHAN: I mean, automation traditionally has been the way to scale, and, I mean, in the beginning, you want to see what the machine is doing, right? And then you really don't want to see it. You just want it to work. So it's really helping you to scale up your work. And in that sense, automation, like collaborative robots, for example, which people are talking about robots, are something that is replacing jobs, but if you look at it, it is a very small portion of statistics. In Singapore, which is the highest user of robots installed, there were 950 maybe robots per 10,000 employees. And the average in the Americas is 100 robots per 10,000 employees, and that's not really a lot. And so there is plenty of space for robots to be the tools for people. So if you don't treat them as something that will replace you but something that will actually augment you, I think it would be much easier. What could happen, though, and I think that is maybe part of your question, is that, well, these tools are becoming so complex that you cannot use them unless you increase your skill. How do you do that? Because no company would like to end up in a situation where the tools that you have bought and invested a lot of money in are too complex for your employees to use. That's a lost investment. It's like you're building a big factory out in a very remote place, and you don't have enough electric power to run it. You don't want to end up in that situation. Like you expressed, I think that maybe what's missing and what's trending right now is that the upskilling of the workforce is becoming extremely important. TROND: And how do you do that, Johan? Because there's obviously...there's now an increased attention on upskilling. But that doesn't mean that everyone has the solution for it. And employers are always asking for other people to pay for it, for example, governments, or the initiative of the worker, perhaps. It seems like Europe has taken this challenge head-on. Germany, at least, is recognized as a leader in workforce training. The U.S. is a latecomer to the game from that perspective. But it typically shows up in a big way. So something is going to happen here in the U.S. when it comes to workforce training. What is the approach? I mean, there seems to be two approaches to me; one is to simplify the technology, so you need less training. And the other would be obviously an enormous reskilling effort that either is organized, perhaps ideally in the workplace itself, so it's not removed from the tasks. Or some enormous schooling effort that is highly efficient and perhaps online. What do you think are the winning approaches to re-skilling that entire manufacturing workforce continuously? Because it's not like you have to rescale them once, you have to rescale them every time. JOHAN: Well, I can only guess. I think that you need to do all of these, all of the above. One complicating factor is the demographics of, especially Japan; of course, we know that from a long time that, they have an aging population. But Europe is now becoming the new Japan in that sense. We have a very big problem in terms of aging populations, especially countries like Italy and perhaps Germany but also in northern countries. And we don't have perhaps...there's a lot of discussion on immigration right now. But actually, the workforce would need a lot of immigration to be able to respond to the needs of our industry in the forthcoming situation. I think that China is maybe 4 or 5 years behind Europe, and the U.S. is maybe 10-12 years behind Europe as well. So that will happen...the only non-affected regions right now are India and Africa. And that means that the European, and Chinese, and U.S. industries will have to compete with a rather young population in Africa and India. And so that will become over time, but it is a long time, so that means that it's not always on the political agenda. Things that take a long time are usually not the things that you speak about when you have election times that we have in Sweden right now. It's mostly what's on the table. So I think that how to do that is really complex. We had some collaboration within the World Economic Forum. It is a fantastic organization because it spans the whole globe. So that means that the information comes from different parts of the world, and you can see different aspects of this. And a country that has done a lot about this is Singapore, very good experiments, very nice projects, initiatives regarding upskilling. And Europe is now launching an innovation program where they want to go deeper into deep tech to try to...the commissioner for research and education in June launched a big initiative around innovation and how that can be supported by deep technology. So we'll see what comes out of that. It'll be very, very interesting to see. MID-ROLL AD: In the new book from Wiley, Augmented Lean: A Human-Centric Framework for Managing Frontline Operations, serial startup founder Dr. Natan Linder and futurist podcaster Dr. Trond Arne Undheim deliver an urgent and incisive exploration of when, how, and why to augment your workforce with technology, and how to do it in a way that scales, maintains innovation, and allows the organization to thrive. The key thing is to prioritize humans over machines. Here's what Klaus Schwab, Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum, says about the book: "Augmented Lean is an important puzzle piece in the fourth industrial revolution." Find out more on www.augmentedlean.com, and pick up the book in a bookstore near you. TROND: Speaking about the World Economic Forum for a minute, Johan, you have been part of this group project called the Augmented Workforce Initiative. You told me when we spoke earlier that, in your opinion, this initiative couldn't have existed even just five years ago. Can you explain what you mean by that? Because augmentation, the way that you've been speaking about it now, is a perspective that was nascent, even in the early days of computing and manufacturing control systems. Yet, it seems to have disappeared a little bit, at least from the top end of the political and research agenda. Yet here we are and you said this initiative couldn't have existed five years ago. Can you explain what you meant by that? JOHAN: That is a very, very nice initiative by the World Economic Forum, and it's run by the forum and Cambridge University, who has a very, very good group on this and some very nice people. And I'm honored to be part of that group together with my colleague from Mexico, David Romero. You may know him as well. And I think that what they're looking at is the increased understanding. And that was actually one of the sessions at this World Economic Forum, you know, the Davos days that were run this year. And it was actually part of those days as a theme about how to engage, and how to support, and to augment the workforce, which has never happened before on that level. So it's really, really high on the agenda. The Forum has been running previous projects also on the future of work and how the demographic situation is affecting or how the skill situation is affecting the companies. They have come up with suggestions that more or less half the workforce needs to be upskilled within the next couple of years. And that's a huge undertaking. TROND: The novelty here is that the world's elite managers, I guess, who are represented at the World Economic Forum are increasingly aware of the complexity of workforce issues generally, and then specifically of upskilling, and maybe even upskilling in this very specific meaning of augmenting a worker which, I guess to my mind, is a little bit different from just generally speaking about robotic automation and hammering these efficiency points. But obviously, it's a much more challenging debate because it's one thing to find a budget for an automation effort and introduce a lot of computers or introduce a lot of whatever technology, usually hardware, but what we're talking about here is a lot more challenging because you need to tailor it to these workers. And there are many workers, obviously, so it's a complicated phenomenon. How is that going? What would you say are some of the findings of the Augmented Workforce Initiative? JOHAN: I think that companies like Tulip, companies like Black & Decker, and others have a lot of good use cases actually already, which may or may not before have been labeled augmentation. It might have been labeled as operator support, or decision-making support, or things like that, or upskilling. But I think that the findings are that there is a lot out there, but it's not emphasized as something that is really important for the company's survival in that sense. TROND: It wasn't so glorified before. A lot of the decision support systems were viewed as lower-level systems that were just kind of more like HR systems or just tinkering with necessary stuff that people had to know kind of a thing. And so you're saying it's been elevated now, yeah, as having a much more essential impact on the quality of work. JOHAN: It has a leveraging impact for the whole company, I would say, but that's also part of this industry 4.0 approach. And you have the hierarchical integration of companies where the CEO should be aware of what's going on on the shop floor and vice versa, as well as the horizontal integration where you have the companies up and down the supply chain and value chain knowing what's going on early. And that is really something that maybe stopped at mid-management level before, but now it needs to be distributed out to the places where the complexity is higher, and that's the frontline workers. Maybe...now I'm guessing, but I think that also the understanding that the investments done by this company in complex manufacturing equipment could be at risk if you don't have the right skills to use them is now penetrating, I think, a lot of the companies. In Europe, in 2019 or something like that, there were almost 30 million people employed in the manufacturing industry. And if you look at the number of...if you say that half of these need to be upskilled somehow over a period of three years...and I actually made a mock calculation that the re-skilling need for in-person months in Europe if we were to fulfill this is 50 million person-months, 50 million person-months, just the time for the people to participate in these trainings. So that's a huge undertaking. And I think that that scares companies as well as governments because just imagine taking 50 million person-months out of productivity or the production equation. But the alternative might be worse. If you lose your capability to use your equipment, that might even be worse. TROND: Wow, these are daunting things. I guess that brings me to the last section here and some thoughts from you on the future outlook. When it comes to technology and these tools for human augmentation, what are the timelines for, well, either making the improvements or, as you said, not losing competitiveness because of this skills crisis? What are we looking at here? Is there some imminent challenge and opportunity? Or is this going to play out over 25 years? JOHAN: I think that in 25 years, the demographic situations will have changed again, so I assume that they will look different. But right now, we have a problem with an aging population. And we have a lot of people going into retirement. A lot of knowledge will disappear unless we can store it somehow. A lot of people will not go into industry. I mean, when I talk to colleagues, they say, "Well, we need to make the manufacturing industry more sexy. It should be cleaner, or it should be nicer because young people don't go to industry." But if I go to the healthcare section, they will say the same thing, "Oh, we need to make it much better because people are not applying for these educations." TROND: [laughs] Where are people applying, the tech companies? JOHAN: No, that's the problem. They don't exist. They were never born. TROND: [laughs] Right. JOHAN: So the demographic bomb is that they are actually not there. So you cannot rely on employing young people because they are not existing in Europe and soon not in the U.S. to the extent that they were before. So therefore, you need to focus on the older people. So you need to re-upskill not only the middle-aged people but the people in their 50s and even in their 60s. That adds to the complexity. In the next 5 to 10 years, there will be a lot of discussions on how to fill the missing places in industry to remain competitive. I also think that you can see the augmentation here as a fantastic tool together with the upskilling because upskilling the new skills together with the augmented tools like collaborative robots, like cognitive support, like whatever you can put in an iPhone, or whatever phone, or tool, or watch, or whatever, you can add the capability to make decisions. And that's the augmentation you will see. And you will see a lot of digital twins try to foresee problems. You will see a lot of transversal technologies going from different high-tech industry into manufacturing industry to support especially the frontline people and to enable their innovation capabilities. TROND: Johan, you said earlier that the complexity is higher at the level of frontline workers. Did you mean that, basically, the complexity of frontline work of itself at an individual level is also underestimated? Or were you simply saying that because there are so many frontline workers and the various situations of various types of frontline workers is so different that it's obviously an underappreciated management challenge? Or were you truly saying that frontline work in and of itself is either complicated or becoming more complex? JOHAN: If a task was not automated, it is inherently complex. So you couldn't automate it, right? TROND: Right. JOHAN: Because if you can teach a robot or whatever to do tasks, then it's not difficult, and you can foresee the results. There was a lady called Lisanne Bainbridge. She put out The Paradox of Automation that the more you automate, the more dependent you become on the few people that are still there to handle the situations that are so complex that you could not foresee them. So everything that is programmed is programmed by a programmer, and the programmer tries to foresee every foreseeable situation, and to that extent, the robots and the automation works. But if these situations go out of hand, if they're too complex, and something happens, then there is no robot that can fix that. Unfortunately, AI is not there yet. TROND: Well, you said, "Unfortunately, AI is not there yet," but I would also conjecture that, fortunately, AI is not there yet because you're pointing to something missing, I think. And a lot of the AI debate is starting to come back now. And it was there in the '60s because people realized that for lots of different reasons, to have a human oversight over robotic processes is actually a good thing. And you talked to me earlier about the experiments with imagining a trip to Mars and having to execute robotic actions on Mars in a control system environment where you actually had to foresee the action and plan; it was always a supervised type of situation. So the supervisory control concept has been there from the beginning of computing. If you were to think of a future where AI actually does get more advanced, and a lot of people feel like that's imminent, maybe you and I don't, but in any case, let's imagine that it does become more advanced and becomes sort of a challenge, how do we maintain human control over those kinds of decisions? I mean, there are researchers that have imagined, you know, famously in Superintelligence, Bostrom imagines this paperclip factory that goes amok and starts to optimize for producing paperclips, and everyone is suddenly producing, you know, and the machine then just reallocates resources to this enormously ridiculous task of producing only paper clips. It's a very memorable example. But a lot of people feel that AI could soon or at some point reach that level. How do we, as a failsafe, avoid that that becomes an issue? Or do you see it as such a far-fetched topic in manufacturing that it would be decades, if not centuries, away? JOHAN: I think that AI has been seasonal if you allow the expression. There's talk about these AI winters every now and then, and they tend to come every 10 or 15 years, and that matches two Ph.D. lifetimes, Ph.D. development. I mean, people tend to forget the problems, and then they tend to use these Gartner curves. If you look at the Gartner curve, you have the expectation part. I'm not being arrogant towards the AI research. I think that AI is fantastic, but it should be seen, from my perspective, as what it is, as an advanced form of automation that can be used as an augmentation tool. I think it was Kasparov that started to collaborate with a chess computer maker or developer, and they won every tournament because the combination of the human and the chess computer was astounding. And now I think there are even competitions with chess computers plus chess experts comes with them. There was, I think, in the 1800s, there was a traveling exhibitionist where they had the Mechanical Turk, I think it was called. It was a chess player that was competing then against the people in the audience. And actually, inside this box, there was a small human that was making all the chess moves. And they were beating all the chess champions. So there was a man inside this. I think that there is still a man inside a lot of the automation. TROND: A man and a woman. I wanted to just lastly end on a more positive note because you told me earlier that you are more optimistic now than ten years ago on behalf of your industry that you've researched for so many years. Why is that? JOHAN: I think that the technology, I mean, I'm a techno-optimist. And I think that we have also the full scale, the full attention from the ICT industry on various industrial processes right now. It was a lot of service-oriented. And I think that that is playing out now in the platform wars, the different services, but these different services are actually making a lot of good in the manufacturing and the tougher industries. And so, there is a bigger focus now on creating CO2-less steel. And there's an exploration of different industries that are going across; you look at the electrification of vehicles which is cutting across several sectors in the industry, automotive industry, electronics industry. And I think that the problems in industry are becoming so complex. So the ICT attention is on industry now more than perhaps on consumers, as it were, and I think that that's promising. I see companies like Ericsson promoting 5G. I see companies doing the Amazon Web Services and such companies looking at services that are useful for industry. And that's also augmenting the people's capability in that sense, so that's why I'm so positive. I see all the sensors coming. I see all the computing power coming into the hands of the frontline operators. And I see also the use for the upskilling and the skilling technologies that are emerging. How do you do that? What they do in Matrix when the leading lady downloads the instructions for the helicopter or motorcycle or whatever it is. But how do you do that in real life? How do you prepare for something that's coming in the next few minutes? That is something that people are now looking at using technologies, augmenting technologies, digital twins, and things like that in a completely different way than they were five years ago. TROND: Wow. So these are exciting moments for learning in manufacturing with perhaps wide-ranging consequences if we succeed. Johan, I thank you so much for these reflections. You've spent a career investigating production systems, and manufacturing, and workers. And these are very rich debates. And it seems like they're not over, Johan. So, hopefully, we'll have you back when something happens. And we'll have you comment on some developments. Thank you very much. JOHAN: Thank you, Trond. Thank you for a very interesting discussion. You always learn a lot by being asked a lot of questions, so thank you so much for this learning experience. Thank you. TROND: You're very gracious. Thank you, Johan. You have just listened to another episode of the Augmented Podcast with host Trond Arne Undheim. The topic was a Scandinavian Perspective on Industrial Operator Independence. Our guest was Johan Stahre, Professor and Chair of Production Systems at Chalmers University of Sweden. In this conversation, we talked about how the field of human-centered automation has evolved. My takeaway is that human-centered automation is the only kind of automation that we should be thinking about, and this is becoming more and more clear. Operators are fiercely independent, and so should they be. This is the only way they can spot problems on the shop floor, by combining human skills with automation in new ways augmenting workers. It seems the workforce does not so much need engagement as they need enablement. Fix that, and a lot can happen. Thanks for listening. If you liked the show, subscribe at augmentedpodcast.co or in your preferred podcast player, and rate us with five stars. If you liked this episode, you might also like Episode 84 on The Evolution of Lean with Professor Torbjørn Netland from ETH Zürich. Hopefully, you'll find something awesome in these or in other episodes and if so, do let us know by messaging us. We would love to share your thoughts with other listeners. The Augmented Podcast is created in association with Tulip, the frontline operation platform that connects people, machines, devices, and systems in a production or logistics process in a physical location. Tulip is democratizing technology and empowering those closest to operations to solve problems. Tulip is also hiring, and you can find Tulip at tulip.co. Please share this show with colleagues who care about where industry and especially about where industrial tech is heading. To find us on social media is easy; we are Augmented Pod on LinkedIn and Twitter and Augmented Podcast on Facebook and YouTube. Augmented — industrial conversations that matter. See you next time. Special Guest: Johan Stahre.

Global Greek Influence
Advanced automobility and transportation Part 1- Innovation in travel futures

Global Greek Influence

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 20, 2022 44:33


"Advanced automobility and transportation- Part 1: Innovation in travel futures" is about the current, future and #hybrid technologies (internal combustion #engines, #fuelcells, #batteries) also multimodal travelling and mobility-as-a-service in smart cities travel, perceived #experience quality in automobility 5.0 and cognitive processes' mapping. #podcast #travel #smartcities. I am talking to Professor Anna Stephanopoulou, William Clay Ford Professor of Technology, from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Michigan University, Ann Arbor in the US, Dr Alexandros Nikitas from the Huddersfield Business School and Director of the Future Mobility Lab at the University of Huddersfield in the UK and Dr Kostas Stylidis CEO and Co-Founder of Intended Future, an Associate Professor at University West and part-time associate researcher at the Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. "Advanced automobility and transportation- Part 2: #AI (Artificial Intelligences)" will be available on 04 December 2022. Music: "Fortitude" by Humans Win Source: Storyblocks --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/panagiota-pimenidou/message

ClimateBreak
How to Think About the Transition to Zero Emission Commercial Vehicles with CALSTART's Cristiano Facanha

ClimateBreak

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 10, 2022 1:42


The Global Commercial Vehicle Drive to Zero Program aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and create a world with zero-emission commercial vehicles. The Clean Energy Ministerial, a global forum to advance clean technology and policy, and CALSTART, a clean transportation non-profit, started the campaign. By 2025 the program hopes to achieve commercially competitive zero-emission technology and for this technology to be dominant by 2040. Drive to Zero's mission utilizes a ‘Beachhead Strategy' that works to target current commercial electrification markets, then from there drive growth in other regions. This beachhead strategy was developed in conjunction with CALSTART and the California Air and Resource Board (CARB) and has been incorporated into CARB's three-year investment strategy plan. The program also works to connect with cities, national and regional government agencies, manufacturers, fleets, fuel/energy suppliers, and other organizations that support early markets for zero-emission commercial vehicles.Drive to Zero goals for the next five years are to identify best practices, eliminate barriers, and share information among stakeholders to achieve success in their initial beachhead markets in China, India, Mexico, South America, Canada, the European Union, and the United States. The program plans to hold an annual global meeting to ensure all parties are working together to achieve their common goal set by the 2015 Paris Agreement. By supporting participants, coordinating activities, and sharing strategies and best practices Drive to Zero is working as an intermediary to support the growth of zero-emission commercial vehicles worldwide.  CALSTART:CALSTART is a nonprofit that works to develop clean, efficient transportation solutions. The organization, founded in 1992 and headquartered in Pasadena, California, works with governments and businesses across the globe to connect their clients with the clean energy sector. Their mission is to create a high-tech clean-transportation industry that will create jobs and fight climate change. CALSTART works with technology firms, transit operations, vehicle manufacturers, research institutions, and more to customize services, information, and programming to work towards sustainable transportation solutions. CALSTART focuses on the demonstration and development of new clean technologies, market acceleration, policy work, assessment, validation, and member support to help grow the zero-emission transportation sector. The organization's goals are to reduce barriers and promote innovation and progress in clean transportation technologies to accelerate the green transportation sector. The nonprofit specializes in four sectors: cars, trucks, buses, and fuels to promote economic and environmental improvement.Christiano Facanha:Christiano Facanha is a transportation and environmental engineer who leads CALSTART's Commercial Vehicle Drive to Zero program. With over fifteen years of experience in the transportation sector and expertise in the design, modeling, and evaluation of transportation emissions strategies and reduction, Facanha's mission is to reduce climate change by cleaning up air pollution in the transportation sector. Fancha holds a Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley, an MS in Transportation Management from the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, and a BS in Industrial Engineering from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Before working as Global Director at CALSTART, Cristiano led clean transportation activities related to sustainable freight, Brazil, and emission inventory tools at the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT).Sources: https://calstart.org/cristiano-facanha/https://globaldrivetozero.org/about/program/https://calstart.org/about/https://globaldrivetozero.org/about/pledge/

Data Skeptic
Your Consent is Worth 75 Euros a Year

Data Skeptic

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 7, 2022 24:04


People who do not want their data tracked and shared online can pay a token for a cookie paywall. But are the websites keeping to their side of the bargain? Victor Morel, a Postdoc candidate at the Chalmers University of Technology joins us to discuss his work around auditing the activities of cookie paywalls. He discussed the findings from his analysis and proffers some solutions to making cookie paywalls more transparent.

Philosophical Disquisitions
Ethics of Academia (12) - Olle Häggström

Philosophical Disquisitions

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2022


In this episode (the last in this series for the time being) I chat to Olle Häggström. Olle is a professor of mathematical statistics at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden. Having spent the first half of his academic life focuses largely on pure mathematical research, Olle has shifted focus in recent years to consider how research can benefit humanity and how some research might be too risky to pursue. We have a detailed conversation about the ethics of research and contrast different ideals of what it means to be a scientist in the modern age. Lots of great food for thought in this one. You can download the episode here or listen below. You can also subscribe the podcast on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon or whatever your preferred service might be. #mc_embed_signup{background:#fff; clear:left; font:14px Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; } /* Add your own MailChimp form style overrides in your site stylesheet or in this style block. We recommend moving this block and the preceding CSS link to the HEAD of your HTML file. */ Subscribe to the newsletter

Curiosity Daily
Healing Hearing Hairs, Sun Phones, Chicken Gods

Curiosity Daily

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 4, 2022 12:00


Hear about a new treatment that may be able to reverse hearing loss, how new solar energy storage technology could eventually power our phones, and the surprisingly grand history of chickens.Reversing hearing loss. “Reversing hearing loss with regenerative therapy” by Zach Winnhttps://news.mit.edu/2022/frequency-therapeutics-hearing-regeneration-0329“What are Progenitor Cells? Exploring Neural, Myeloid and Hematopoietic Progenitor Cells” by Nicole Gleichmannhttps://www.technologynetworks.com/cell-science/articles/what-are-progenitor-cells-exploring-neural-myeloid-and-hematopoietic-progenitor-cells-329519“Quick Statistics About Hearing” by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disordershttps://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/statistics/quick-statistics-hearing“PCA Approach” and “About Hearing Loss” by Frequency Therapeuticshttps://www.frequencytx.com/science/pca-approach/https://www.frequencytx.com/hearing-loss/about-hearing-loss/“FX-322 in Adults With Acquired Sensorineural Hearing Loss” by Frequency Therapeutics Clinical Trialhttps://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05086276Phone charger, but make it the sun.“Converting solar energy to electricity on demand” by Chalmers University of Technologyhttps://techxplore.com/news/2022-04-solar-energy-electricity-demand.html“For a Better Future” by The MOST Solar Projecthttps://mostsolarproject.eu/“Molecular solar thermal (MOST) energy storage and release system” by Kasper Moth-Poulsen, et al.https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2012/ee/c2ee22426g“Solar Energy: Benefits and Drawbacks” by Matthew Johnstonhttps://www.investopedia.com/articles/investing/053015/pros-and-cons-solar-energy.aspChicken breeding.“The biocultural origins and dispersal of domestic chickens” by Joris Peters, Ophélie Lebrasseur, Evan K. Irving-Pease, Ptolemaios Dimitrios Paxinos, Julia Best, Riley Smallman, Cécile Callou, Armelle Gardeisen, Simon Trixl, Laurent Frantz, Naomi Sykes, Dorian Q. Fuller, and Greger Larson.https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2121978119“A new origin story for domesticated chickens starts in rice fields 3,500 years ago” by Bruce Bower.https://www.sciencenews.org/article/chicken-domestication-bones-origin-asia-rice-fields-exotic-animals“Redefining the timing and circumstances of the chicken's introduction to Europe and north-west Africa” by Julia Best, Sean Doherty, Ian Armit, Zlatozar Boev, Lindsey Büster, Barry Cunliffe, Alison Foster, Ben Frimet, Sheila Hamilton-Dyer, Tom Higham, Ophélie Lebrasseur, Holly Miller, Joris Peters, Michaël Seigle, Caroline Skelton, Rob Symmons, Richard Thomas, Angela Trentacoste, Mark Maltby, Greger Larson, and Naomi Sykeshttps://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/redefining-the-timing-and-circumstances-of-the-chickens-introduction-to-europe-and-northwest-africa/0797DAA570D51D988B0514C37C2EC534Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Calli and Nate — for free! Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers.Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/healing-hearing-hairs-sun-phones-chicken-gods

Immigration Tech & Marketing - The GMI Rocket Show
Anali Guzman Molina, CEO, Emigreat: Immigration tech in Sweden and beyond

Immigration Tech & Marketing - The GMI Rocket Show

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2022 68:04


On episode 54 of the GMI Rocket show, our guest is an inspiring immigration tech startup founder building the future of immigration in Sweden: Anali Guzman Molina, Co-founder & CEO of Emigreat. EmiGreat's mission is to make migration to Sweden easier. Its aim is to close the information gap around the immigration process, enabling individuals to move more easily, and help companies hire immigrants more easily too. And Anali knows a thing or two about immigration. Originally from the Dominican Republic, Anali worked as an architect for 2 years before moving to Sweden to pursue a master's in international project management at the Chalmers University of Technology. In school, Anali's new tech connections, her own immigration experience, and her academic focus on and passion for social sustainability and equity eventually led to Emigreat. Here's what we're going to dive into: Anali's early life in the Dominican Republic and how she got into architecture Anali's immigration journey to Sweden to pursue her master's How Anali fell into tech and what inspired her to launch Emigreat What Emigreat does today and where it's heading Anali's thoughts on immigration tech in Sweden and beyond And more! So please join us, ask questions and leave comments! #immigration #globalmobility #legaltech #immigrationlaw #sweden Check out the Emigreat here: https://www.emigreat.co/ Connect with Anali here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/analiguzmanmolina/ Digital marketing for immigration & global mobility at GMI Rocket: https://gmirocket.com/ Digitize your LCA posting and PAF process with LaborLess: https://laborless.io/ Connect with Roman Zelichenko on LinkedIn! https://www.linkedin.com/in/romanzelichenko-electronic-lca-posting-public-access-file/

Earth Wise
A Better Way To Recycle Plastic | Earth Wise

Earth Wise

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2022 2:00


The current state of plastic recycling is not very effective.  Plastic recycling is only able to replace 15-20% of the fossil-fuel-derived raw material needed to produce society's demand for plastic. Researchers at Chalmers University in Sweden have now demonstrated how the carbon content in mixed waste could be used to replace all of the fossil […]

Geeks Of The Valley
#71: The Crypto-Asset Broker of the Future with Nomura's Olivier Dang

Geeks Of The Valley

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2022 16:56


Olivier Dang is the Global Chief Operating Officer for the Wholesale Digital Office of Nomura. He supports the development and implementation of the digital strategy of Nomura's Wholesale business. Olivier has been at Nomura since 2010 and held various roles in Corporate Strategy and Business Management. Prior to this, he was a Management Consultant at McKinsey in London and he started his career as an entrepreneur building a mobile internet company in France. He holds a MSc in Telecommunications from Chalmers University of Technology, an engineering degree from the Institut Superieur d'Electronique de Paris and a M.B.A. from the London Business School. Olivier is based in Zurich. LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olivier-dang/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/geeksofthevalley/support

Smart Money Circle
SMC: Adam Sarhan Interviewed Anders Gustafsson, CEO, of Zebra Technologies $ZBRA

Smart Money Circle

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 30, 2022 23:32


Anders Gustafsson, CEO Zebra Technologies. $ZBRA shared timeless business, life, and leadership advice in this SmartMoneyCircle.com Episode! Find out Anders 4 R's, get timeless leadership advice, learn how he handles adversity and so much more. Bio Anders Gustafsson became chief executive officer and a director of Zebra Technologies on September 4, 2007. Prior to joining Zebra, Mr. Gustafsson served as CEO of Spirent Communications plc, a publicly traded telecommunications company. At Spirent, Mr. Gustafsson redirected that company's growth strategy, divested non-core operations, integrated historic acquisitions and streamlined the organization to realize significant cost savings. Prior to Spirent, he was senior executive vice president, global business operations, of Tellabs, Inc. While at Tellabs, Mr. Gustafsson also served as president, Tellabs International, as well as president, global sales, and vice president and general manager, Europe, Middle East and Africa. Earlier in his career, he held executive positions with Motorola and Network Equipment Technologies. Mr. Gustafsson holds a master's degree in business administration from the Harvard Graduate School of Business and a master of science degree in electrical engineering from Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden. He was a Fulbright Scholar and received numerous fellowships and scholarships for academic excellence. Zebra Technologies (NASDAQ: ZBRA) Website: https://www.zebra.com/us/en.html --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/smartmoneycircle/support

Diverse
Ep 181: Global Transitions And International Pursuits

Diverse

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 2, 2022 50:41


On this special episode of Diverse, a SWE Podcast, we revisit a Fireside Chat from November with Ranul Jain, M.S. Innovative and Sustainable Chemical Engineering at Chalmers University. In this chat, she discusses her various experiences and share what she thinks is really the trick to adjusting to a new country, climate, and life: embracing it with an open mind.

Doing It! with Hannah Witton
Measuring Your Orgasms and Being a Woman Engineer In Sex Tech with Anna Lee

Doing It! with Hannah Witton

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2022 54:16


In this episode, Hannah is joined by Anna Lee (aka Anna the Average), who is the co-founder and head of engineering at Lioness, the women-led sexual health startup. Anna discusses her journey as a Korean American women in the sex tech world, how she overcame the conservatism of her family to found her own sex tech company, and how working in sex tech helped her reclaim ownership of her own body after trauma. She and Hannah talk about why Anna is feeling positive that the landscape of the sex tech industry is becoming more diverse despite having to navigate a lot of stereotypes and uncomfortable situations. Finally, Anna shares more about her motivation behind creating the Lioness, why she believes being able to measure your orgasms allows people to better understand how their bodies work, and gives advice on introducing using toys in partnered sex as well how to get into the sex tech industry!CW: mention of sexual assault✨ MORE ABOUT ANNA LEE ✨Anna Lee is a technical co-founder of Lioness, the women-led sexual health startup that built the world's first and only smart vibrator that improves understanding of sexual pleasure and body through biofeedback data. She is a Forbes 30 Under 30 alum and has been covered in numerous publications like Fast Company, Glamour, and Popular Science, as well as Paper Magazine's Asian Women Creators You Need to Know and Buzzfeed's 14 Sex Tech Founders Who Are Changing The Way The World Thinks About Sex. Anna is a prominent creator on TikTok with nearly 400,000 followers.Anna was previously a mechanical engineer at Amazon, launching the Amazon Dash Button's original concept and the Kindle Voyage Page Press Technology. She has spoken at top universities like UC Berkeley and Chalmers University, SXSW, and CYFY India. Lioness was featured at CES 2020, a finalist at Last Gadget Standing, Engadget Best of CES 2020, and Refinery29 Best of CES SexTech. She is a big advocate in Lioness' mission to expand understanding and research in sexual health, and destigmatize female sexuality.Lioness: https://lioness.io/Instagram: https://instagram.com/annaisaverageTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@annatheaverage

imperfect: The Heart-Centered Leadership Podcast
Episode 171: Demystifying the Supply Chain With Dr. Muddassir Ahmed

imperfect: The Heart-Centered Leadership Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2022 29:16


This episode is sponsored by Davwill Consulting. Emotional agility? Yep, it's needed more now than ever. Let's chat! Click Here Dr. Muddassir Ahmed is a Manufacturing Operations, Procurement, and Supply Chain leader with international multi-site manufacturing experience in the Electrical, Hydraulics, Automotive, and Internet industries. With considerable experience in deploying Continuous Improvement best practices in Europe, Middle East & Africa. Dr. Muddassir Ahmed has received a Ph.D. in Management Science from Lancaster University Management School, an MSc. in Management of Production from the Chalmers University of Technology, Göteborg, Sweden, and a B.E. in Textile Engineering from NED University of Engineering and Technology, Karachi, Pakistan. Muddassir is a Six Sigma Black Belt and has founded scmdojo.com – with the motto: “Supply Chain Knowledge and Solutions for Everyone” Connect with Dr. Ahmed at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-muddassir-ahmed/ https://www.instagram.com/muddassirism https://www.tiktok.com/@muddassirism https://twitter.com/muddassirism https://www.scmdojo.com/

The Big Switch
Decarbonizing Cars

The Big Switch

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 3, 2021 29:13


In the next five episodes, we'll take a deep dive into decarbonizing the entire transportation sector -- everything from bulldozers and planes to ships and trains. In this episode we start with cars. How do we switch the world's over 1 billion fossil-fuel-powered cars to zero-carbon alternatives, and fast?  Dr. Melissa Lott explores the most promising pathway -- electrification -- with Dr. Sonia Yeh of Chalmers University. What kind of infrastructure and technology do we need to scale up electric cars? And why aren't there more electric vehicles on the roads right now?  We'll also tell the story of Tim Treuer, who put his EV to the test on 7,600-mile road trip, risking jail time in the process.  Guests: Tim Treuer, a biologist, journalist and cross-country EV adventurer. Dr. Sonia Yeh is Professor in Transport and Energy Systems in the Department of Space, Earth and Environment at Chalmer University in Gothenburg, Sweden. The Big Switch is produced by Columbia University's Center on Global Energy Policy in partnership with Post Script Media. This episode was produced by Daniel Woldorff and Alexandria Herr. Theme music and mixing by Sean Marquand. A special thanks to Natalie Volk, Kirsten Smith and Kyu Lee. Our executive editor was Stephen Lacey.